Chapter 54 Chapter Fifty-Four

Li Ye took his concubine Lian Che's hand, reluctantly walked out of Daming Palace.Just when he had already stepped out of the palace gate with one leg, he suddenly stopped, and couldn't help turning his head to look at the palace that once represented all the splendor and all the glory of the Great Tang Empire.He vaguely remembered that when he lived in Liuwangyuan when he was young, he traveled with his father to Daming Palace.He can still recall the piece of green in midsummer—it was an unprecedented imperial palace!It is a huge and magnificent building complex embraced by green trees and reflected by clear water!Looking up at the palaces with double-layer brackets dotted in the middle of the first imperial palace in ancient and modern times, it looks so small like a few seashells scattered on the beach by the sea.Looking to the west, thousands of palaces and palaces rise from the ground, and the eaves of the horns are level with the sky. The visual impact is incomparably powerful.At that time, Li Ye felt for the first time what it means to "not see the emperor's grandeur, but know the emperor's dignity", and it was the first time that his blood boiled with enthusiasm for being in such an emperor's home.However, after the emperor's brother Li Xuan came to the throne, he fled to Chang'an twice.And when he became the monarch of the Tang Empire, the Daming Palace in his childhood memory was already a decaying and dilapidated ruin.The once green memory no longer exists, and the turbid pool water can no longer reflect the magnificence of the palace.After the fire, many palaces left only a pile of smoke and ruins, never regaining their solemn true colors.

"I'm really scared, I'll never come back here..." "Your Majesty, where are we going?" Lian Che's gentle voice came from next to my ear. "I want to go to Xichuan. Maybe I can pass by your door." "Brother Emperor," Yan Wang Li Jiepi advised, "the two Sichuans are in turmoil. If you go to Chengdu to avoid the chaos, you must pass through Dongchuan. I am afraid that your Majesty will make a mistake." Li Ye's eyes were full of desolation: Yes!In such a huge empire, there is no shelter for his majestic emperor. "Brother Huang, Li Keyong is absolutely loyal to His Majesty. Without him, we would not be able to return to Chang'an."

"You want me to go to Hedong?" Li Ye sighed, it was difficult for him to evaluate this foreigner with mixed merits and demerits.This Shatuo man who had saved him, harmed him, conquered and comforted him. "If you want to go to Hedong, you will pass through Huazhou. Han Zuoshi is eyeing me, how can he let me go to Taiyuan?" "Brother Huang, you can bypass Huazhou by crossing the river from Fuzhou!" "Things have come to this, it has to be like this..." Li Ye looked back at the Daming Palace he was nostalgic for, and embarked on the bitter journey of escape.

In July, the sun in Guanzhong is like a fire.Li Ye didn't take the chariot, but insisted on riding a horse and walking in the middle of the team with several princes.He looked back from time to time, and every time he saw these brothers followed him, he could somehow find some comfort from his family.Although these imperial brothers who grew up with him in the inner courtyard of the palace were not born to be safe and secure, and no one read the past and present like him, let alone pick out a general or handsome talent who can lead the army to fight and strategize, but after all, When the world is about to fall apart, the only ones he can trust are the Li Tang clan who are connected by his blood.Because of this, when he reorganized the Forbidden Army again, he divided the army into four armies: Ansheng, Pengchen, Baoning, and Xuanhua. The imperial army was handed over to Qin Wang Li Sizhou, Yan Wang Li Jiepi, Tong Wang Li Zi and others.Li Ye didn't expect them to be able to turn the tide, but he did hope to have some reliable relatives around him so that he could sleep soundly at night.

As soon as we arrived in Weibei, there was a commotion in front of us.Li Ye took a closer look, and saw a group of people blocking the way in a dark manner, with the word "Han" written on the blue flag in the middle of the group.Li Ye's heart tightened: Did Han Jian know his plan to go to Hedong? Not long after, a general in his early twenties with a silver helmet on his head and mail armor came up to the guard of honor alone, got off his horse and kowtowed to Li Ye: "My minister Han Congyun sees Long Live!" As soon as he signed up, he knew that he was Han Jian's son.

"I would like to ask Long Live to move to Huazhou." Yan Wang Li Jiepi leaped forward angrily, and scolded Han Congyun: "You dog slave, dare to block the way of the emperor!" Han Congyun stood up confidently, with a look of indifference, and patted the dust on his body: "I am thinking about long live." Li Jiepi said: "What if Long Live doesn't follow?" Han Congyun obviously didn't pay attention to the prince in front of him, and said coldly: "Long live is wise, he will naturally go to Huazhou. If this prince wants to kidnap Wan live and go to Taiyuan, first ask the generals of his subordinates if he will agree." As soon as he fell, several warriors in helmets and crowns flashed out from behind Han Congyun, each holding a shining steel knife.A bearded man at the head swung his knife across his body and shouted arrogantly at Li Ye: "My lord, my master invites you to Huazhou!"

anger!panic!have no choice!All of them came to the heart of Emperor Tang.Li Ye only felt that his heart was bleeding and crying.He suddenly thought, if Emperor Taizong knew that Tian Khan's descendants would be reprimanded by a lowly martial artist one day, would he be angry or sad under the nine springs? At this moment, a figure jumped out from Li Ye's left rear, and as the sword came out of its sheath, a cold light flashed across Li Ye's eyes, and immediately after that, a stream of bright red blood spewed out from the throat of the flamboyant warrior just now. After struggling a few times, he fell to the ground on his back with a "boom".In an instant, there was a commotion around Han Congyun, and several people took several steps back.

At this time, the person in front of Li Ye wiped his clothes with the sword a few times, put the sword back into the sheath, and shouted at Han Congyun angrily: "You are a traitor! If you dare to plot rebellion and kill the king, ask me first." Do you agree or not with your sword?" Li Ye turned around and saw that the person who spoke was Li Yun, who had always followed him during several incidents.Back then, it was this man who took off his shoes on the plank road and put them on his frostbitten feet.Moreover, without him, I would have been Li Maozhen's prisoner when I was in Shimen.

"Yes! I am the emperor! I should have the dignity of an emperor!" Li Ye said to himself.Thinking about it, he immediately went forward to Han Congyun and said, "It's my idea to go to Hedong. As Tang officials, you will eat my salary from the Li family. If you don't seek rebellion against Li Maozhen, you will come to block my way. How decent it is!" In a word, it reveals the confidence and inviolable sanctity that can only be possessed by the masters of this country.Han Congyun may have been stunned by Li Ye's words, or he may have been awakened by the bloody scene just now. He waved his hand at the people behind, and a passage ahead suddenly opened up.

King Yan Li Jiepi gritted his teeth and ordered: "Let's go!" Li Ye was eager to cross the river, so that he could get rid of Han Jian's entanglement earlier.But along the way, he kept receiving reports from Han Jian's envoys, and presented the heads of several warriors who had surprised him that day in front of Li Ye.When the army arrived in Fuping County, Han Jian even rushed over in person. In the palace, Li Ye saw Han Jian who was in tears.Li Ye recalled that when he was in exile in Chengdu, it was Han Jian, Wang Jian and a group of five who planned to kill Wang Shu and abandon Lu Yanhong and rushed all the way to escort him.After Tian Lingzi lost power, four people headed by Wang Jian served in Liangchuan, and only Han Jian served as the governor of Huazhou in Gyeonggi and concurrently served as the defense envoy of Tongguan.The previous Huazhou has been dilapidated after a long period of war, and after Han Jian took office, he went out to the village, visited the poor and asked the poor. In just a few years, the economy of Huazhou recovered and the military and civilians were enriched. He was also promoted to the Township Festival because of his outstanding political achievements. degree to make.Li Ye still remembers that Han Jian was very obedient to him when he came to the throne, and he was responsible for supplying food, grass and military supplies when he conquered Hedong.Although Zhang Jun suffered a big defeat that time, Han Jian did his duty after all.However, later on, Han Jian and Li Maozhen worked hand in hand, and Gan Ning openly led troops into the country in the second year in an attempt to abolish himself.

"Your Majesty..." Han Jian's voice was choked with sobs, "Li Maozhen is not the only one who is domineering. If Your Majesty stays away from the ancestral temple, gardens and mausoleums, patrols the borders, and the ministers are afraid of driving the river, there will be no time for repayment. Now Huahua Although the state's military strength is small, it can still defend itself by virtue of its superior terrain! I have run Huazhou for 15 years, and it can be said that there are enough soldiers and food. Xingfu." Han Jian's words touched Li Ye's heart.Yes, is there really anyone in the world worthy of my entrustment?Han Jian also made contributions to Li Tang, just like Li Keyong.If you really go to Taiyuan, it will be thousands of miles away from Chang'an, and once you cross the Yellow River, you really don't know if you will have a chance to come back!Han Jian's apparent sincerity and submission softened Li Ye's heart, and he finally agreed to Luan to drive to Huazhou. That night, Li Jiepi hugged Li Ye's leg and cried: "Brother Emperor, Han Jian is a cunning man, so go to Huazhou and escape death!" Li Ye helped his brother up, and sighed: "The Tang Dynasty is so big that there is no room for me. No one in the world is cunning!" "Brother Huang, listen to my brother. Although Li Keyong is arrogant, he has no resentment. Now only Li Keyong has the ability to turn the tide." "I really want to cross the Yellow River, but will Han Jian let me go? I'm afraid that by then, I really won't have a good death." "Brother Huang, let's escape in the dark!" Li Ye shook his head: "You can escape, but I can't. Good brother, I will give you a secret decree. Tonight, you take a few relatives to Hedong, and ask Li Keyong to send troops to welcome me back to Chang'an as soon as possible... If... If Li Keyong If you don’t need to send troops, then don’t come back.” "Why?" "If Han Jian is really harmful to me, you will be buried with me when you come back. If that's the case, it's better to keep you as my Li Tang's blood." Li Jiepi was terrified, cried and knelt down again: "Your Majesty!" The spring in Chengdu was still chilly, Wang Jian paced along the base of the city wall. The more than one year of fighting made him firmly believe that Gu Yanhui was not his opponent at all, and it was only a matter of time before he captured Zizhou.The only shame of the year was that Wang Zongbi was captured alive by the Dongchuan Army.But instead of killing him, Gu Yanhui made him his adopted son.After all, Gu Yanhui also cherishes talents and is reluctant to kill such a fierce general. What's more, Wang Zongbi secretly tipped the news and saved his life. Wang Jian didn't want to think too much about why Wang Zongbi felt at ease and recognized the enemy as his father. At this moment, he needed to consider that with the increase of the city and the expansion of the territory, some brothers and adopted sons who were born and died with him needed to be resettled in various states and counties.Li Shitai and Li Jian are both old and no longer suitable for fighting. They are now the governors of Shuzhou and Qiongzhou respectively.What needs to be considered now is who will be the governor of Dongchuan after the capture of Zizhou.Whoever occupies this position means that he is on an equal footing with him, so a completely reliable person is needed.He asked Zhou Xiang for his opinion, and Zhou Xiang recommended Hua Hong almost without hesitation, thinking that none of the generals in the army could compare with Hua Hong in terms of military exploits, bravery, resourcefulness, and popular support.In the past, Wang Jian was almost obedient to Zhou Xiang, but the only consideration in using Hua Hong was that he found that his views were far from Zhou Xiang's.It is undeniable that Hua Hong is a rare talent, and in some respects he is far superior to him.But the more he wanted to use such a person, the more cautious Wang Jian became.And Zhou Xiang's almost unreserved praise for Hua Hong made him feel a little uncomfortable. The final decisive battle between the two rivers is coming. Wang Jian and Zhang Lin walked side by side along the base of the high city wall.Whenever a war comes, he always likes to stay with these scholars, as if he intends to relieve the pressure in his heart. "Mr. Zhang, I have already recommended you to the emperor to be the envoy of the Wuxin Army." Zhang Lin narrowed her eyes, stroked her goatee and smiled, "I'm already a dying old man, so I don't care about these things. I'm so loved by the lord, and now the deputy envoy of the official residence Jiedu, I'm already content..." "Mr. Zhang is indifferent to fame and fortune. With you in Chengdu, I can rest assured." He stopped, stroked the thick blue bricks of the city wall with his hands, and said meaningfully: "When the weather is warm, I will send soldiers to Zijin Zhou. At that time, Chengdu will be entrusted to Mr. Zhang.” "My lord, don't worry, with my old bones here, I can keep Chengdu safe." "Okay! But you also have to pay attention to your body, after all, age is not forgiving. I think Feng Xinzhi is upright and upright, and I recommend him to be a judge of Jiedu; Governor Xu is hardworking and reliable; there is another The young man’s name is Tang Daozai, and I also want to experience it. If there are many official tasks, you can leave the trivial matters to them.” "The lord really knows people and is good at responsibility!" "Oh! But I really don't know who will hand over Dongchuan to manage in the future." "This matter is not urgent. I think the lord must have decided on the candidate in his heart, but he is still waiting for an opportunity to test. Zizhou is surrounded by defenses, and it is difficult to accomplish it overnight. At that time, we can divide the army into several groups. Whoever makes great achievements will be able to convince everyone. , to guard Dongchuan for the lord." "Hahaha, you still have a way! Let's go for a walk on the city wall." Wang Jian helped Zhang Lin up the stone stairs as he said.When the haze in the bottom of my heart dissipated, I looked around and saw a wonderful scenery.Looking to the west, you can clearly see floating clouds in Yulei; beside the moat, there is an open land not far away.He suddenly turned his head - Wudan Mountain, at this moment their foothold and the open land in the distance were cleverly connected in a straight line.He couldn't help but jokingly said to Zhang Lin: "If I die in the future, I will be buried on that piece of land!" Zhang Lin changed Wang Jian's topic: "Oh, my lord, look, the bamboo forest in the city is the mansion of Governor Xu. I think we might as well go to him and ask for lunch." "It's still you scholars who are affectionate. I can't imagine reciting poems in the woods. It's okay, I haven't seen him for a long time, and I miss him a little bit." Xu Geng has already taken a month's leave because he feels unwell.One day, when Wang Jian came to visit the humble house, he was both surprised and happy. He hurriedly ordered his sons Yanqiong and Yangui to come out to meet the lord, and also ordered his servants to hold a banquet in the bamboo grove in honor of Wang Jian.Wang Jian asked him if he had been healthy these days, and after a few words, he talked about his plan to send troops to Dongchuan in the next step. Xu Geng said ashamedly: "Now is the time for employing people, I want to come out to help Zhang Gong share some official duties, but I am a bit powerless!" Wang Jian waved his hand: "No problem. Without you, Chengdu would not be what it is today. I and the people of the city will remember your kindness! You are not in good health, take care of yourself! I will ask some doctors to take your pulse later. You just take care of yourself at home!" "My lord loves you so much, Xu Geng is so ashamed! I only hope for an early health and work hard for the prosperity of Chengdu!" "Okay! I think you two sons are promising in the future, and you should come out to practice and practice! Those who are good at writing, let them go to Qiongzhou and Shuzhou to study and become politicians; Chuan. Don't worry, I will hand them over to Guangyuan, and they will learn more before the battle than staying in this forest! I'm afraid you won't want to part with these two sons." "My lord can give them this opportunity, I wish for it!" "Then it's settled. When they are promising in two years, I will recommend them to be officials." "Qioner, Guier, why don't you come over and thank the lord." At this time, Zhang Lin interrupted abruptly: "Master Xu, I heard that besides these two young masters, you also have two daughters. They are both peerless beauties who overwhelm the country and the city. Why don't you let me see them?" One sentence made Xu Geng's face turn red: "Mr. Zhang, why are you joking like this? You're making fun of Xu! These... little girls don't know the rules, and they are usually not allowed to see guests, so as not to contradict the lord." Wang Jiandao: "This is your family, there are not so many rules, you are the rules." Seeing that Xu Geng couldn't get off the stage, he had no choice but to order Yan Qiong to call his two younger sisters to meet the guests. Not long after, I saw a woman in green clothes approaching slowly with a graceful figure and light steps. Wang Jian originally thought what Zhang Lin said was an excuse for the literati to joke with each other, but when he saw this woman, he suddenly felt as if he was in a fairyland.For half his life, Wang Jian had been in and out of the imperial palace and forbidden gardens, and he had seen countless women, but he asserted that none of the favorite concubines around the late emperor could be as clear and astonishing as the woman in front of him.He opened his mouth slightly, as if time was frozen at this moment.After a long time, I heard Zhang Lin on the side sighing: "The condensate is just blooming, so delicate and beautiful!" Only then did Wang Jian feel a little lost.He turned to see Zhang Lin, only to find that Zhang Gong's eyes were also full of admiration and appreciation.Zhang Lin said to Xu Geng again: "It's just that Mr. Xu was known as the most beautiful man in Xichuan when he was young. He never wanted to have a woman with such a mark. I am afraid that it is difficult to find such a beautiful girl in the Tang Dynasty." The woman moved slowly into the bamboo grove, and after paying respects to Wang Jian and Zhang Lin, she responded to Zhang Lin graciously: "Your face is bestowed by your parents, and it will eventually grow old. Yanjin can't afford to be praised like this by my lord." After finishing speaking, he got up and retreated behind Xu Geng, with a faint smile on his face, really looking back and smiling, with all kinds of amorous feelings lingering on his brows. Wang Jian was in a trance when he heard the sound of laughter like silver bells coming from behind the bamboo grove, and a girl in purple had already arrived in a trance.The cloud sleeves swing lightly, attracting colorful butterflies to dance; the slender waist is slowly twisted, and brocade ribbons are floating.Wang Jian once again firmly believes that Xu Geng's bamboo forest is full of fairy spirit, and mist rises from all around. How is it different from Yaochi? "Luo'er, meet the lord soon!" "My lord? Are you Wang Guangtu that daddy always mentioned?" The girl in purple clothes walked around to Wang Jian without any fear. She couldn't help but look Wang Jian up and down. A square scarf with a kind face. "Don't be rude!" Xu Geng reprimanded his little daughter nervously, and hurriedly apologized to Wang Jian. The younger daughter asked again: "Do you know Wang Zhongchu who has the same name as you?" "A poet?" "'Tonight, the moon is full of hope, and I don't know who's autumn is falling!' He is a great poet!" Xu Geng saw that the youngest daughter was getting more and more rude, so he hurriedly scolded Yan Luo aside, leaving only Wang Jian still staring at her. Naturally, Wang Jian's gaze cannot escape Xu Geng's gaze.He suddenly remembered that when he was still in office in Meizhou, he had a matchmaker who told him that Xu Zhai would be surrounded by two phoenixes in the future.He believed that even if his two daughters who were all overwhelmed by the country were dedicated to the emperor, the emperor would be overjoyed, but now that the emperor of the Tang Dynasty is still in danger, how could he push his daughters into the fire pit?Now, the lord, Wang Guangtu, has become the master of Xichuan, and within a short time, he will be able to have both rivers.Now that the Tang Dynasty is in decline and disputes continue in the Central Plains, who among the feudal lords of Gyeonggi would not want to coerce the emperor to rule the world?If...if the Lord of Xichuan in front of him could one day be extremely powerful...then, wouldn't the rumors of the twin phoenixes around the beam become a reality?Thinking of this, Xu Geng couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat, but he became inexplicably excited...