Chapter 27 The twenty-seventh chapter Wanniang urged the people of the world to build a front-end alliance on her deathbed Li Yi

As soon as he brought the horses to Tiance Mansion, he saw that there were horses tied to the horse-hitting posts in front of the mansion, so he yelled, "Hey, where is my horse tied?" His voice startled the guards on duty. A man came over to take the reins of the horse in his hand, and replied: "General Ma, please come in. The horse's affairs will be handled by the servants, so don't bother." At this moment, Yuchi Jingde walked out the door , saw someone coming and shouted: "Oh, it's the Three Treasures. I heard that you went out of Longyou Dasheng Tuyuhun with Chai Concubine. When did you come back?"

Ma Sanbao smiled all over his face, and said: "Yuchi led the army to rush out of the door in such a hurry, what's the matter? Sanbao just returned to the capital with his son-in-law yesterday, and he came to pay respects to the King of Qin early this morning, and I really want to see you." Yuchi Jingde stepped forward and took Ma Sanbao's hand, shook it twice, and said: "You go in first, let's talk later. Just now my Baoliner came to look for him, saying that Zhuojing had an emergency, I'll hurry up Go see." When Ma Sanbao heard this, he let go of his hand quickly and said, "Hurry up and go. Alas, why do women get more diseases? The princess's body is getting worse day by day."

Yuchi Jingde didn't answer any more, and went back to the horse, the guard helped him onto the horse.Ma Sanbao watched him leave, then went straight to Renwen hall to see Li Shimin. Li Shimin was discussing the Turkic affairs with Lu Deming, Kong Yingda and others in the hall.As he was speaking, Ma Sanbao bowed down to Li Shimin.Li Shimin hurried forward to pull Ma Sanbao up and put him on the chair.Li Shimin said with a smile: "Sambo, we haven't seen each other for two years. A few days ago, I was in the court, and I heard that brother Sichang led you to defeat Tuyuhun. Needless to say, I am very happy. Come on, just take me Tell us about the grand occasion of the battle."

At that time, the Tang Dynasty was busy unifying China, and adopted a soft policy towards the frontier tribes.Li Yuan made peace with Silla, Baekje, and Goryeo in the east, and sent prisoners to each other; he fought with East Turkic in the north (under the jurisdiction of Tiele and Xueyantuo tribes) before making peace, paying tribute and proclaiming his minister; Kucha, Khotan, Yanqi, Gaochang) and Tubo in the southwest communicated with each other; only Tuyuhun, who lived between the Longyou area of ​​the Tang Dynasty and Tubo, felt that Tang was busy with the war in the east at this time and had no time to take care of Longyou. King Fuyun of Tuyuhun led troops to attack Taozhou , trying to get some cheap.Unexpectedly, Li Yuan ignored his objections, took a tough stance, and sent Chai Shao to lead the army to fight.

Ma Sanbao was very embarrassed, and said: "The king of Qin has gone through many storms and waves during the Northern Expedition in these years, how can he care about this small battle? But this is the merit of the son-in-law, and Sanbao dare not be too modest." Li Shimin smiled and said, "Yes, if you tell me what you say, when did you Sambo learn to be modest?" Ma Sanbao paused, and said loudly: "That day the son-in-law followed the order and led the troops to Taozhou. Seeing that Fu Yun was attacking in a hurry, he led his troops to cover up the attack. The Tuyuhun army retreated at the first touch. I don't think it was Fu Yun's plan He led us into a valley, and suddenly ambush us and surrounded us. They even leaned on a high place and shot arrows. Our army suffered a lot of casualties. This confrontation continued until nightfall. In my heart, let me find the pipa and let people play it. And let the dancer pretend to be a woman and dance to the music. It turns out that Tuyuhun likes the music of Kucha, and his soldiers were very surprised when they saw this scene and heard the music. , then stopped bows and arrows and gathered to watch. At this time, the son-in-law saw that he was unprepared, quietly dispatched the fine horses to copy, and gave them a blow with his buttocks. Soldiers and horses, attack with all their strength. After dawn, we won a great victory."

After Ma Sanbao said a few words, Li Shimin didn't seem to believe it, and asked: "Is it that simple? Sanbao, don't you just hear the story in the music workshop, come here for a romance? Haha, Mr. Lu, you have read a lot of history books, but Have you ever seen such a beautiful battle?" Lu Deming smiled and said nothing. Ma Sanbao said anxiously: "Everything that Sanbao said is true, even if you lend me some courage, I won't dare to brag and lie in front of King Qin." Li Shimin nodded: "Don't worry, I believe what you say. Sanbao, I originally calculated that brother Sichang should arrive in Chang'an a few days later, why is it earlier?"

Tears welled up in Ma Sanbao's eyes, and he choked up and said, "Isn't it because of the princess? The emperor's decree said that the princess is not in good health, and asked her son-in-law to return early. Qianzi even sent a servant to explain the details to me, so hurry up, day and night It's a few days earlier for the concurrent journey." Li Shimin tremblingly said: "I went to see my sister a few days ago, and her condition is quite stable. Is it repeated these days?" "Yes, since yesterday, the princess has been coughing up blood." Li Shimin stood up abruptly, cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Lu, Mr. Kong, Shimin take a step first. Sambo, let's go and have a look."

Since Li Wanniang fell ill, her body has become increasingly heavy.The imperial physicians in the palace and the Gaoming doctors in Chang'an City were helpless. Li Shimin and Ma Sanbao hurried into the Pingyang Princess Mansion.When Li Shimin entered the room to visit, he saw Li Wanniang lying on the couch with a sallow complexion.Chai Shaohou was at the side of the couch, directing the maid to wipe off the bloodstains on the side of the couch. Li Shimin walked slowly to the bed, gestured to Chai Shao, then stood aside, looking at Li Wanniang speechlessly.At this time, there was another sound of footsteps outside the door, and the elder Sun Jiamin and Jing'er came to inquire.They entered the door and quietly stood behind Li Shimin.

Li Wanniang's head moved slightly, and a weak voice came out of her throat.It was Chai Shao who understood what she meant, raised his head to greet the maid and said: "Water here." The eldest Sun Jiamin stopped the maid who was about to pour water into the cup, and said softly: "Jing'er, go and mix the citrus juice you brought. Some water, feed the princess." Jing'er mixed the citrus juice with her own hands, and fed it into Li Wanniang's mouth spoonful by spoonful.Xu Shi had a unique taste, Li Wanniang slowly opened her eyes, drank the juice from the bowl, and a trace of blood gradually appeared on her face, Chai Shao motioned for everyone to help her sit up.

She panted there for a long time, and said slowly: "This juice is really delicious, so beautiful, must it be made by you and Jiamin together?" The elder Sun Jiamin said softly: "If my sister likes this juice, I'll ask Jing'er to bring it every day while it's fresh. But the imperial doctor said that citrus is hot, so I don't know if drinking too much will harm my sister's body." Li Wanniang said: "I don't have many days to go, as long as I want to feel comfortable now, how can I care too much? Jing'er, just do what Jiamin said." As soon as Li Wanniang said this, tears filled the eyes of everyone in the room.Li Shimin choked up and said: "Sister, you shouldn't say such ominous words. Your body is slowly recovering, so don't think about it."

Li Wanniang sighed softly, and said slowly: "My own body, don't you guys know better than me? Well, let's not talk about that. Sichang, take them out for a while. I want to talk to Erlang Son." Everyone walked out of the room lightly, Li Shimin comforted him and said, "Sister, I have heard from the imperial physician that your disease will gradually get better as soon as the weather warms up as soon as the next spring comes on." Li Wanniang said: "Can I make it to that time? Erlang, I'm afraid I can't. I've been lying on the couch these days, and I've thought about countless thoughts in my mind. I think we followed the father and went through many difficulties and difficulties. The good days are getting more and more day by day, but who knows that the body is not up to date. To be honest, if I die now, I am really unwilling in my heart." After speaking, tears welled up in my eyes. Li Shimin wiped away tears for her, Li Wanniang suddenly felt a little embarrassed, and said: "I have never been afraid of anything, I don't want to be scared now, I will make you laugh." Li Shimin shook his head and said: "Otherwise, the attachment to life is not fear of death, but human nature." Li Wanniang stretched out her hand to grab Li Shimin's left hand, and said in a trembling voice: "Erlang, when my sister is about to die, her words must be kind. Now that the father and the emperor rule the world, you, Dalang, Shiro and others are in your own place, and Sichang and the children are also Anju at home, if I die, I should have nothing to worry about. But there are two things I still ask of you, you know, the brother who loves me the most in my life is you. " Li Shimin tremblingly said: "Sister, Erlang knows." Li Wanniang gasped for a while, Li Shimin picked up the cup and fed her a few more sips of water, her eyes suddenly dimmed, and she said intermittently: "The first thing is that you compete with Dalang for the position. Although you have not pierced this layer of window paper Although my sister has been lying on the couch for a long time, she can see the fire clearly. My mother has passed away long ago. If I leave again, only the father and you brothers are the closest people in this world. If you brothers again Fighting each other, I really feel uneasy!" "Sister, don't worry. In fact, the matter is not as serious as you think. It's just that Shiro is too young to know anything. He played back and forth between me and Dalang, which led to a misunderstanding." "Erlang, don't be so stubborn, my sister is not blind. I know that even if Dalang and Shiro join forces, with your ability, they will definitely not be your opponent. I want to beg you, even if there is such a day in the future, you can't Do everything right. For the sake of our mother and compatriots, let them live, okay?" "Sister, are you really confused? Such a thought, Erlang dare not even think about it, how could such a thing happen?" Li Wanniang clenched her hands, shook her head, her tone was still firm: "Erlang, you have to promise me." Li Shimin's tears flowed again, and said: "Sister, are you really going to trap Erlang in an unjust situation? How could such a thing happen? Well, sister, Erlang promises you: Erlang will cherish his brothers and sisters in his life." , don’t forget what my sister said today.” Li Wanniang breathed a sigh of relief, and said: "Sister knows that you keep your promises. Even if I die now, my biggest concern is gone. There is one more thing, Sichang treated me with more affection, and those two children were with me. I am connected to flesh and blood. If I die, I will entrust them to you and take care of them for me." Li Shimin nodded and said: "I don't need to say more about this, Erlang will keep it in mind." After Li Wanniang said these words, it was as if a big stone had been removed from her heart, and she immediately felt relieved.She let go of Li Shimin's hand and said: "Okay, Erlang, I'm a little tired, I want to rest for a while, you go back to the house. I hope you will remember what you promised me today, and my sister will be grateful in the future." your." Li Shimin was heartbroken, and walked out of the princess mansion wiping his tears. Li Wanniang's illness still hasn't improved, and she hasn't made it to the spring season after all.On the ninth day of February in the sixth year of Wude, Li Wanniang took her last breath on the sick bed. When the news spread to the palace, Li Yuan was very sad, and immediately issued an edict to hold a grand funeral for her.The funeral standard is to add front and rear advocacy, forty swordsmen in the class, followed by Wu Benjia.According to Tang etiquette, such specifications can only be enjoyed by princes and above, and ordinary princesses do not have such specifications.Dai Zhou, a servant of the Ministry of Rites, was a very serious person. When he saw Li Yuan's edict, he felt that it was not in line with the etiquette system, so he played to Li Yuan in the early court: "Your Majesty, after reading the edict, I searched for the etiquette law, and found that there is no one in it." Preaching is used at a woman's funeral." Li Yuan knew that Dai Zhou was a very serious person, so he didn't reprimand him in class, and said patiently: "I know this reason. But back then, the princess held the golden drum herself, and raised righteous soldiers to help her great cause. Could it be that she can get along with ordinary women?" Compare? Dai Qing, needless to say, the princess will spend her life as a soldier, let military music send her to rest in peace." Li Wanniang is famous, and Dai Zhou also admires her bravery.Today, he accused Li Yuan's edict of being unethical, and he just wanted to do his duty as a courtier.Seeing that Li Yuan insisted on his original proposal, he withdrew and said nothing. On February 15th, Li Wanniang's funeral began.At that time, Li Wanniang and her "Women's Army" were very famous. When they heard that she passed away, many people were very sad.In order to commemorate her, the people in the east of the river named a majestic pass "Niangziguan" to honor her legendary life. A few days after Li Wanniang's death, Yuchi Jingde's wife passed away after a long illness, leaving behind her only son, Yuchi Baolin. Li Jiancheng led the army out of Chang'an and went straight to Xiangzhou. Li Yuanji had already stationed troops here and led his people to welcome him into the city. Liu Heikai supported his troops to the south, and all the states and counties north of Xiangzhou belonged to him. However, Tian Liu'an, the general manager of Weizhou, refused to attack them. Liu Heikai could not attack for a long time.Thanks to Tian Liuan's protection of Weizhou, it became a barrier to the north gate of Xiangzhou, so that Xiangzhou was safe for a while.After listening to Li Yuanji's introduction, Li Jiancheng said immediately: "Tian Liu'an has made great contributions, Shiro, did you ever add troops to him?" Li Yuanji said: "I once sent five thousand soldiers to reinforce, but the bandit Liu was so powerful that he stopped him again." "How can that be done? Hurry up and add 30,000 troops to go to reinforcements. If Weizhou is lost, Xiangzhou's gate will be opened suddenly, so what's the matter?" Li Jiancheng immediately ordered Liu Hongji to be the general and Shi Wanbao to be the deputy general, leading 30,000 people to Weizhou to help. The next day, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji led the army out of Xiangzhou and rushed to Weizhou.When they arrived in Changle, Liu Heita didn't know that Li Jiancheng had arrived, and thought Li Yuanji was the commander.He had long despised Li Yuanji's ability, so he led the army to meet him.Unexpectedly, Li Jiancheng mobilized his troops skillfully. On the one hand, he ordered the army to line up and storm the enemy camp, and on the other hand, he ordered Liu Hongji and Shi Wanbao to lead troops out of Weizhou City to attack.After all, Liu Heitai's subordinates were gathered in a hurry, and they immediately retreated and fled north. Seeing the enemy's defeat, Li Jiancheng swung his troops to cover up the enemy's defeat.In this way, he chased all the way to Xingzhou. After Liu Heitai entered the city, he closed the four gates tightly and stood firm with the city before he stopped.Afterwards, Tang soldiers swarmed in and surrounded Xingzhou tightly. Along the way, the Tang army captured many enemies.Wei Zheng suggested to Li Jiancheng: "Prince, if you want to completely stabilize Hebei, you must use the word 'Fu' well." Sure enough, Liu Heitai rebelled, and Li Jiancheng realized that Wei Zheng's foreword was very accurate, and praised him many times for his long-term vision.Wei Zheng has a strategy in mind, but he has one problem, that is, he is arrogant and speaks straightforwardly, which makes people uncomfortable.This is also the reason why Wei Zhengjiu was never reused in the East Palace.However, when Li Jiancheng is employing people now, he also knows that Wei Zheng's insight is indeed superior to others, so he listens patiently to his suggestions and adopts them from time to time.Now I heard Wei Zheng say that the word "Fu" should be used well, so he smiled and said: "Wei Xima, now is the time to attack the fortress, how do you use the word "Fu"?" Wei Zheng didn't hear the teasing tone in Li Jiancheng's words, so he said to himself: "The King of Qin defeated Liu Heizai last time, blindly showing his strength by being brave, and executed all the captured generals by name, and took his wife as a slave. The strategy, if used in a war or a temporary period, should be able to deter the enemy's momentum; if you want the land of Hebei to have long-term peace and stability, it is a bad strategy. As I said before, as long as Liu Heita does not die, or another Zhang Heita, Zhao Hei When they raise their arms and call out, the people immediately respond. This is the reason why the army is stable when it arrives, and rebels when it leaves. You must know that there is no stability under strong pressure." Li Yuanji had only heard of Wei Zheng's name before, but today seeing this unattractive little Xima dare to put on a face and talk in front of the crown prince and himself, he felt very uncomfortable, so he said: "Wei Xima doesn't know something, I am in Hebei, and I have already asked my father to issue an imperial edict to pardon Liu Thief and his party's crimes, but it has not seen any effect." Wei Zheng sneered and said, "After all, the common people are shallow and don't understand the truth. They only want to believe what they see. The king of Qi has fought endlessly here, and he hasn't seen any measures to show mercy. This is why they don't trust him." Li Jiancheng thought it made sense. Seeing that Li Yuanji opened his mouth to speak again, he waved his hand to stop him, and asked Wei Zheng, "According to Xi Ma's opinion, how do you 'touch' him?" "Prince, the captives Liu Heitai sent to us are good targets for us to show mercy. Now we should understand the captives thoroughly, and then tell them the emperor's order, so that we can sit back and watch them separate on their own. " Li Jiancheng accepted Wei Zheng's suggestion and ordered all the captives to be released, and gave them money and food, explaining the emperor's decree to stop the war and suspend the people. Wei Zheng's move was really powerful, and Liu Heita's officers and soldiers scattered all over spread the news one after another.At that time, the people in Hebei suffered from years of wars and suffered unspeakably. They had long wanted to live a peaceful life.For a while, half of the prefectures and counties came to surrender. What's more, the heads of some prefectures and counties did not want to surrender to Tang. Seeing such an effect, Li Yuanji had to admire Wei Zhengzhi's ability. At this time, Li Yi commanded troops to regain Ding and Lianzhou, and the Xue brothers even led troops to capture Zhaozhou.Li Jiancheng was overjoyed when he heard the news. He heard Li Yuanji's detailed account of how Hou Junji was beaten when he went to Li Yi's camp to write a letter. He immediately made up his mind and ordered Li Yuanji to continue to besiege Xingzhou. He brought Wang Gui and Wei Ting with him. , Wei Zheng, asked Shi Wanbao to lead 500 people as guards, and galloped to Zhaozhou to meet Li Yi on Qingqi. When approaching Li Yi's military tent, Wei Zheng said: "Prince, I think Li Yi has cultivated a rebellious temperament after being a feudal clan for many years. Now that the crown prince personally visits to show his kindness, Li Yi must not lose his manners. Your Highness, please press the bridle and walk slowly, and let your subordinates report first." Wei Zheng got Li Jiancheng's permission, whipped his whip and galloped, and soon arrived at the gate of Li Yizhong's army.He dismounted first, and then asked the gatekeeper captain to report inside.In this way, under the guidance of the captain, he entered the tent of the Chinese army, saw a man with a long beard sitting in the middle, and knew that he was Li Yi, so he bowed and said: "Yan Gong is at the top, and the next official, Wei Zheng, is following the order of the prince. Come to pay my respects. Afterwards, the crown prince will come in person, and now it is only two miles away from Duke Yan’s military camp.” Li Yi heard that the prince was coming soon, it was quite a surprise to him.He had been in contact with Li Shentong and Li Shimin several times, and felt that these royal family members did not take him seriously, so he aroused his anger and took a non-cooperative attitude.Now hearing that the prince is coming in person, a surge of enthusiasm suddenly surged in my heart.Thinking that the prince is the prince of the country, it is really touching to be so frugal and corporal.You must know that outsiders think Li Yi is rebellious, but in fact he is a straight-tempered person, if he disagrees with others, he will get angry; if he agrees with others, he will get along very happily with each other.Thinking of this, Li Yi settled his mind, his face remained calm, and asked Wei Zheng, "Your name is Wei Zheng, where do you live now?" "Reporting to Lord Yan, the next official, Wei Zheng, currently lives in the crown prince's job of washing horses, and serves the prince every day. The prince said yesterday that now Liu Heikai has become a turtle in a urn, and Lord Yan has been fighting hard in Hebei for a long time. It is time to visit him. Wei Zheng also came because of this, and first saw Yan Gong's heroic appearance." "The prince's actions are too simple. Since you are coming, why don't you say hello first? This has made the old man flustered. Wei Zheng, the old man understands your intention to come, and I will not lose my courtesy. Left and right, line up the guard of honor quickly and welcome Prince." After finishing speaking, he got up and left his seat, and called everyone to follow him out of the tent to meet him. Wei Zheng was delighted in his heart, he wanted to spend a lot of time talking, but he didn't know that Li Yi understood etiquette so well, he had already moved before he finished two sentences.It seems that seeing is believing, the rumors about Li Yi heard in the past do not seem to be accurate. Li Jiancheng was grandly welcomed into the account by Li Yi, and Li Yi treated him with the gift of a crown prince.Li Jiancheng was also very modest, saying: "Duke Yan must not be too modest, Jiancheng is a prince, and the country has great affairs, so it is reasonable for us to meet and follow the rules. However, in terms of family seniority, Jiancheng seems to be listed among Yangong's nephews. " Li Jiancheng's words sounded high-sounding. At first, Li Yuan named Li Yi Duke of Yan and gave Li a surname, which was called "Emperor's Brother" in the imperial edict.In fact, Li Yi's surname is Luo, and he has no blood relationship with Li Yuan's family. Li Yuan did this for political reasons. After Li Yi heard this, he was genuinely terrified, and said: "The crown prince must not bully the old man, the old man does not dare to rely on himself, after all, he must fulfill his duty as a courtier." Li Jiancheng condescended to visit this time, and his original intention was to make friends with Li Yi, a powerful feudal town.Li Yi offended Li Shentong and Li Shimin one after another, he seemed tough on the outside, but in fact he couldn't help feeling anxious.Li Yi was rough but subtle, thinking that the current Li Tang is not the same as the old Li Tang, the so-called time has changed, don't look at Li Yuan accommodating himself back then, if his wings harden, he will definitely not maintain his independent position for a long time.I have offended the royal family one after another, the so-called someone in the court is easy to be an official, but I do the opposite, how can it last for a long time?Now the prince took the initiative to get close to him, it was like a big pie fell from the sky out of thin air.The two had different thoughts, but they hit it off and had a great time. It was night, and Li Yi held a large banquet to welcome Li Jiancheng.At the banquet, Li Yi called out the dancer and performed the ancient Yan long-sleeved dance for Li Jiancheng.The dance shows the legacy of Yan Zhao's generous and tragic songs, which is completely different from Chang'an's singing and dancing infused with Hu Feng. Afterwards, in a harmonious atmosphere, Li Jiancheng lingered here for another two days.Li Jiancheng and Li Yi followed each other like shadows, and they seemed to hate seeing each other later.Li Jiancheng felt that it was the first time meeting him after all, so he didn't reveal his rivalry with Li Shimin.Before Li Jiancheng left, he made an agreement with Li Yi that Li Yi's camp would rise from the camp immediately, and all members would march towards Xingzhou, forming a pressing situation with the Tang army in the south.In this way, Li Jiancheng used appeasement policies to attack the hearts of the people in Hebei, and took a strong offensive to suppress Liu Heitai military. Liu Heitai's life became more and more difficult every day. Liu Heikai has been trapped in Xingzhou City for more than 20 days. The soldiers of Youzhou led by the Xue brothers in the north are on guard every day. Liu Hongji and Shi Wanbao in the south saw Li Yibing coming, so they withdrew the troops originally stationed in the north of the city and strengthened them. The defense of the south of the city.The two armies from the north and the south communicated with each other and surrounded Xingzhou City like an iron barrel. The grain and grass in the city were gradually exhausted, and Liu Heita could not go out to replenish.The people in the city sit and watch the sky, and their stomachs are unbearably hungry.Hearing that Li Jiancheng treated the captives preferentially and released all the captives back to their hometowns, people were moved for a while.Every night, many people took advantage of the darkness to escape to the city along the ropes, or escaped quietly, or entered the Tang camp to surrender.In a few days, more than 10,000 people fled outside the city. Liu Heita organized personnel to patrol around, but they couldn't suppress them one by one, and it seemed impossible to stop them. Seeing that 30% of the people in the city had gone to 10%, Li Jiancheng felt that it was time to launch a general attack.He sent someone to contact Li Yi, agreed on a time for the siege, and planned to launch it at the same time. The battle began at the hour of Chen. The two armies above and below the city repeatedly fought for the city wall. The fighting was fierce. The base of the wall was covered with dead bodies and spears from the two armies.At noon, the South Gate took the lead in breaking through.A general led more than forty strong men with red cloth strips on their heads and bare arms, leaped like flying on the ladder, stepped up the city wall in unison, and quickly dealt with the Liu Jun soldiers guarding above.While fighting there, they covered the follow-up Tang soldiers climbing the wall.After half an hour, there was a loud bang, the south gate was opened by them, and Tang soldiers from outside the city rushed into the city like a tide. Li Jiancheng was overjoyed when he saw the south gate being broken. He looked back at Li Yuanji and said, "Silang, this man is brave and strong. He has made such great achievements, so he should be promoted. Do you know who he is?" Li Yuanji said to Liu Hongji: "General Liu, this person should be your subordinate." Liu Hongji said: "Prince, King Qi, this man's surname is Chang and his name is He. He is now the head of the Zuoying infantry. He is brave and good at fighting. He has participated in the crusade against Liu Wuzhou, Wang Shichong, and Dou Jiande. Although his official position is small, It is rumored in the army that he is the reincarnation of Luo Shixin, and he is quite famous." Li Jiancheng nodded, remembering the name Chang He in his mind.At this time, Li Yi from the north sent someone to report that the two Xue brothers led the army to break through the north gate and entered the city.After hearing this, Li Jiancheng smiled up to the sky, and said loudly: "Haha, General Liu has Chang He, and Duke Yan has Er Xue. These three can be called the Three Musketeers. I don't worry that Liu Thief will be captured without putting up his hands. General Liu, in my opinion, street fighting in the city at sunset can end." Liu Hongji said: "The prince's words are very true. Yes, Liu thief has been in distress for many days, and it is difficult to stop our army's thunderous blow. After dark, we will see the outcome." Li Jiancheng ordered Wei Ting: "Wei Ting, you should send people to contact Yan Gong quickly, and ask him to guard against Liu's breakout, and send more people to defend outside the city. General Liu, you should also immediately arrange according to this. The army is under heavy pressure. , Don’t let the bandit soldiers walk away alone.” The street fighting in the city continued until dark. Seeing that the situation was over, Liu Heitai wanted to repeat his old tricks.He summoned Fan Yuan and other generals, selected more than 200 elite cavalry soldiers, and escaped out of the east gate in chaos.They had just galloped for two miles when Chang He spotted them, and Chang He ordered people to light up torches and chase them along the way.The two teams chased each other until the middle of the night before Liu Heitai passed Guantao.There is only a simple wooden bridge on the Yongji Canal in front of him. Seeing that the pursuers are in a hurry, and seeing that the Yongji Canal is turbulent and there are no boats nearby, he made a plan and ordered fifty horsemen to stay behind. He blocked the pursuers, led the cavalry across the bridge, and then ordered people to destroy the wooden bridge.Just hearing a sound, the wooden bridge collapsed into the water, and the planks floated downstream with the water.In this way, Liu Heita left his fifty cavalry and the Tang army's pursuers on the opposite bank.Tang Bing killed and dispersed the enemy and chased to the side of the canal. Seeing that the water in the canal was too strong to wade through, he had to watch Liu Heitai calmly flee to the east.Li Jiancheng won the great victory in Hebei, and while applying for a memorial to send to Chang'an, he moved the administration to Mingzhou.He issued a proclamation to appease the people and dispatched officials to each prefecture and county one by one.At this time, Wang Gui said to him that since the trial of the new law of renting and adjusting land and land equalization in the land of Jingzhao in recent years, the common people have enjoyed living and working, and the barren land has been reclaimed and planted. He suggested that this method should be promoted.Li Jiancheng disagreed, saying that the current top priority is stability, and many strategies must be worked out gradually. Liu Heikai fled all the way to the northeast, and arrived at the boundary of Raozhou two days later.This Raozhou is its territory, and three months ago he appointed Zhuge Dewei as the governor of Raozhou.Sure enough, Zhuge Dewei greeted him out of the city, and Liu Heita followed him into the city without any suspicion.Zhuge Dewei set up a banquet in the yamen to welcome them, the pity for the hundred people was like frightened birds, they hadn't eaten a whole meal for several days, when the food came, their eyes lit up and they started to gobble it up.In the middle of their meal, they saw Zhuge Dewei leading the army and surrounded them.Liu Heita was not surprised, and asked, "Dewei, are you betraying me too?" Zhuge Dewei nodded, and said: "That's right, your general situation is gone, and people's hearts are towards Tang. Dewei thought about it, and felt that it was the best policy to vote for Tang. I'm sorry, but I have to treat you as a gift to meet the prince." Liu Heita and others were escorted to Mingzhou by Zhuge Dewei. Li Jiancheng smiled when he saw that the man who caused trouble in Hebei was finally captured.He rewarded Zhuge Dewei on the spot and made him the governor of Raozhou.Afterwards, Li Jiancheng ordered Liu Heitai, Fan Yuan, Gao Yaxian and other eight people to be taken to the edge of Mingshui and beheaded on the spot.When Liu Heitai was about to be killed, remorse suddenly arose in his heart, and he said, "Fan Yuan, Gao Yaxian, you all killed me. At that time, I was growing vegetables at home. If you didn't come to look for them, why would I be here today?" ?” After the words, the head has landed. Li Yi had been invited by Li Jiancheng to come to Mingzhou a few days ago, and Li Jiancheng consulted Li Yi's opinion on various matters concerning the stabilization of Hebei, and accepted it. Half of the officials were Li Yi's subordinates.Seeing that Liu Heita was conferring the title, Li Yi happily said to Li Jiancheng: "The crown prince is so talented and general, and I admire him from the bottom of my heart. I have lived in Youzhou for many years, and I have never thought of using the word 'Fu' to stabilize Hebei. Your Highness's aggressive move is far better than that." There are millions of heroes." Li Jiancheng cupped his hands and said, "Duke Yan doesn't need to be too modest, the land of Hebei in our dynasty depends entirely on Duke Yan's righteous deeds that day." The two are flattering each other here, and the closer their minds get, the more they talk.The weather was fine that day, Li Jiancheng invited Li Yi to go out for a spring tour and visit the ancient city of Handan.The two of them took only a few riders and left Mingzhou to head south.Along the way, the green grass and green leaves, the fragrance of flowers and the singing of birds are just the beautiful scene in early spring and March. The ancient city of Handan has experienced many dynasties, and it has declined. There are only a few ruined walls and no one inhabited. It is far less prosperous than Mingzhou.A group of people walked around there, looking at the decay, feeling uninterested. Li Jiancheng took Li Yi's hand and said, "Duke Yan, look at the green grass and peach blossoms over there, how about we go for a walk together?" The two walked slowly towards the east.Not far away, there is a peach grove, where pink peach blossoms are connected together, decorating it in clusters of flowers. Li Jiancheng was thoughtful, and asked as he walked: "Duke Yan, Liu Heita has been conferred, and Hebei is about to settle down. I will stay here for at least a month, and I should return to Chang'an. I don't know what the next step for Duke Yan is." Intend?" "That goes without saying, the old man will of course withdraw his troops and return to Youzhou." "I've been pondering an idea these days. I wonder if Duke Yan is interested?" "The prince is careful, and his thoughts are definitely not wrong. Please tell me and let the old man listen." "Well, I'm going to take the liberty here. I think it has been more than three years since Duke Yan returned to Datang. Youzhou is remote and the climate is harsh. How can it compare with the prosperity of Chang'an? Why don't Duke Yan ask the emperor for an order? Enter Chang'an as a minister, so that we can be together day and night." Li Yi was startled, stopped immediately, and asked: "Why did the prince have such an idea? I don't know that the emperor promised the old man to stay in Youzhou forever, and the old man never had the idea of ​​leaving Youzhou." Li Jiancheng stared at Li Yi, and said meaningfully: "I think Duke Yan didn't know about it. When Jian Jian was not out of Chang'an, the discussions of the ministers of the court and the memorials reported by the following said that Duke Yan was domineering, and he might become like Liu Hei." It's the same disaster as a door. Of course, the father was aware of the details and severely reprimanded the two leaders, so that the storm was suppressed." Li Yi sighed, and said: "It's no wonder, when I met King Huai'an and King Qin, I always contradicted everything. It's not surprising that people in the court said that about me." Li Yi thought about the past these days, Seeing that Datang's current status was unshakable, the separatist princes from all directions were suppressed one after another.The so-called time has changed, Li Yuan will definitely not accommodate himself as he did back then.I have contradicted the royal family in everything, even the very popular King Qin, I am a little ignorant of current affairs, and I regret it when I think about it.In fact, when Hou Jun was beaten at the camp, Li Yi wanted to put on airs, thinking that Li Shimin would send someone again, but how did he know that he ignored him, which shows that Li Shimin didn't put himself in the right place at all? in the eyes.Thinking of this, Li Yishen was delighted to have a close contact with Li Jiancheng today, and couldn't help saying: "It's because I have little contact with people in the court, so I misunderstood. This time, the crown prince favored me, I am really lucky." "Yan Gong, don't mind these gossips. At the beginning, you resolutely changed your banner to Tang. The credit is too great, and the father will never forget it. But the mouth of the public is better than Fangchuan. No one can stop those people from talking behind their backs. .” Li Yi was silent for a while, then cupped his hands and said: "Prince, I have been with you these days, and I think you are very straightforward. I am a martial artist, and I have always been straightforward and will not play tricks. With the current situation, if the emperor makes trouble, I will I am willing to release the military power and return the land to the people." Li Jiancheng talked for a long time just now, but he wanted to provoke Li Yi to say this sentence.Li Jiancheng knew that Li Yi's self-professional and disobedient character developed over the years, how could he turn around suddenly?He definitely didn't really think so in his heart, and his words were insincere.Li Jiancheng then smiled slightly, stepped forward to hold Li Yi's hand, shook it a few times, and said, "How could Duke Yan say such words? If the emperor listens, he will definitely blame Jiancheng for his inappropriate words. I am courteous, let alone It is a feudal vassal who has made extraordinary achievements. How can he collect Lianggong as soon as the world is established? It does not matter if Duke Yan returns to the field. If this happens, people in the world will have different opinions, and the father will be trapped in an unrighteous place. I The reason why I came to ask you today is not to report the emperor's will, but to think of an idea and want to discuss it with Lord Yan." "Prince, please tell me, the old man believes what you say." "Now that Hebei has been settled, most of the officials in Hebei are under Duke Yan's subordinates. From now on, as long as Duke Yan raises his arms and calls out, there are many people who respond." "I don't dare! They are officials of the Tang Dynasty, and they must be loyal to the emperor. The crown prince really made me sweat like this." "Duke Yan originally guarded Youzhou, but now he is based in Hebei. Although the land is vast, it is remote after all. Duke Yan is brave and majestic and famous all over the world. Living in this remote place for a long time seems to be of little use. If the capital is an important minister of the imperial court, Not only can he advise his father in the court, but he can also achieve peace in the border and eliminate border troubles. A man has lived for a lifetime, and he will be a hero in his life and a ghost in his death. Such a grandeur is the true heart of Duke Yan. Duke Yan, what do you think? ?” These words made Li Yi's blood rush, and he said loudly: "Okay, what the crown prince said touched the heart of this old man." When he said this, his heart suddenly became excited, and he felt that Li Jiancheng's persuasion to himself must have a deep meaning .Although he is a warrior, he is not confused.He had also heard about the fight between Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin. Although Li Jiancheng never mentioned Li Shimin this time, he had a vague feeling that there was something in it from Li Jiancheng's efforts to win him over.Today, Li Jiancheng was completely trusting of himself, Li Yi thought why not explain everything thoroughly, so he tentatively asked: "I will ask the emperor to go to the court immediately when I go back today. Please rest assured, the prince, from now on, the old man will only follow the prince's lead, so it is useful." For the old man's place, just give orders. For example, I heard that the crown prince and the king of Qin are not on good terms, and on this point, the old man will firmly stand by the prince's side." Li Jiancheng's face changed slightly, probably because Li Yi had a glimpse of his own thoughts, so he was a little uneasy.He pondered for a moment, and felt that he could entrust Li Yi with his thoughts on this matter, and he would really have a strong support in the future, so he said: "To tell you the truth, Erlang has been very prosperous these years, and he is too proud I began to covet the position of the East Palace. I wanted to give in, but my father refused to allow it, so I had to do it reluctantly. For example, this time when the Dianbing came to Hebei, my father wanted me to accumulate some credit so that I could stop the mouths of people with malicious intentions.太子之位已定，二郎的心思想是让别人煽动起来的，我并不忧心。只要我们今后各司其职，不负了父皇的期望，事情慢慢就会平息下来。” 李艺冷笑道：“太子仁孝，不能过于仁弱。依老夫所观，秦王竭力笼络文士武将，其志不小，恐非外人能劝。前次我和他相遇，其下属跋扈无礼，傲视我等，即可见一斑。太子不可大意啊！请太子放心，若皇上准奏，老夫入朝后当为你一个强援，就是这幽州、河北之地面，秦王的话来了也不好使。” 李建成听李艺的话感到非常顺耳，满心喜欢，拱手道：“建成谨谢燕公信任！不过燕公若入了朝，幽州之兵也不可散了，更不能让二郎之手伸向那里。燕公经营幽州多年，练成了雄壮之兵。想起那薛氏兄弟，他们英勇善战，实为罕见良将。” “太子若喜欢他们，可将他们拨入东宫内使唤。至于幽州之兵如何安置，我入朝后难带一兵一卒，他们就全凭太子处置。” 李建成点点头，说道：“这件事情可慢慢商量，还由燕公拿主意。” 李艺回到洺州，当即写了一道奏章送往长安。其中言辞恳切，要求罢自己幽州总管之职，入朝奉事。 李建成也送出一道表章，要求授庐江王李瑗为幽州行军总管，王君廓为幽州行军副总管，让他们接替李艺镇守幽州。 薛万彻、薛万均兄弟不久就归属了东宫，李建成授他们为东宫左卫率府左右郎将。同日，李建成又简拔常何为东宫翊卫府中郎将。此举令旁人大惊，因为将一名普通的军头直接提拔为东宫亲卫官，甚是罕见。 李艺的表章到了长安，李渊览罢大喜，当即准奏，授他为左翊卫大将军。又览李建成的奏章，也一一照准。 李渊在听朝之余，还爱两件休闲的事儿：一件是出外狩猎，另一件是在宫内海池上亲自荡桨泛舟。李渊私下里曾对裴寂说过，如今宫内美人众多，眼瞅着个个可爱，要想让她们皆沾皇上雨露，定要调养好身子。 这日他在朝中批了李艺和李建成的奏章，下朝出殿，约裴寂一同入池泛舟。会水性的侍卫乘六艘小舟，不远不近在四周防护。 李渊双手扳桨，船儿慢慢向池心划去，舟尾的裴寂反而坐在那里无事可做。他见池中的鸭鹅不惧怕人，依然在舟旁来回游动，遂搭讪道：“皇上，这宫内的海池也透出灵性，每年都有不少天鹅来此驻足觅食。所谓物华天宝，想我朝如今辉煌，鸟儿也纷纷前来喜报祥瑞。” 李渊笑骂道：“裴监，你不长学问也就罢了，为何不愿意多动动脑子？天鹅为候鸟，每年迁徙上万里，路途上总要下来歇歇脚儿。这宫内池大，又无人打扰，它们当然要落下来寻点食儿。” “皇上博识，老臣实在太笨。” “别在那里说嘴了，来，你划一会儿。”李渊说完，将桨把儿交给裴寂。李渊看不远处临湖殿上的装饰，忽然若有所思，叹道：“裴监，你怎么看李艺主动上表要求入朝这件事儿？他果真是自愿吗？” 裴寂不假思索，答道：“当然，那李艺也许早就想入京城了。幽州天寒地冻，哪儿有这里繁华？” “恐怕非其自愿吧！太子的奏章与他的奏章一前一后而来，说的都是一件事情。由此看来，事先太子肯定与李艺一同商量过。裴监，还是太子知道我的心啊。他能顺利说服李艺入朝，算是了却我的一件难事儿。” “是啊，皇上圣明。此次太子出征，打一胜仗并不为难，难的是战后能将河北安定。现在又说动李艺来朝，功劳甚大。皇上这次选太子出征，真是英明。” “裴监，我听你的话中怎么透出古怪味儿。难道说让二郎去出征，就是我选错人了吗？” “老臣不敢。” “你以为我不知道你的心思吗？其实太子与二郎，两人的本事都差不多，细较起来，二郎带兵的本事还要出众一些。他们都是我能干的儿子，岂可厚此薄彼？这次让太子出征，无非是想让他积些功劳，可平朝中之人的妄议。裴监，你明白我的心意吗？” “老臣知道，前些日子秦王连征皆捷，那天策府里之人就有些得意忘形。皇上此举，正是想告诉他们：太子一样能打胜仗。” “瞧你，又想岔了念头不是？我为他们的父皇，岂能施以心机？他们作为我的儿臣，须各司其责，又不分彼此才好。” 这番话让裴寂如坠云雾中，不明所以，喃喃道：“老臣愚钝，难猜圣心，望皇上降罪。” “我的心思还要你来费神猜吗？真是混账话！”李渊出语斥责，然脸上并无怒意。 裴寂心中翻江倒海，想起前一段时间李渊对李世民的震怒态度，想不透为何如今太子在河北取胜，李渊又对李世民转变了态度？心想圣心难测，还是少说为佳。