Summoning the Peak of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 2439 Li Tang was terrified, Ban Chao made Tang

Chapter 2435: Li Tang was frightened, Ban Chao sent Tang

Clearing the customs is really important to Li Tang.

Li Tang also knew the importance of Sanguan. In order to prevent the Qin army from raiding Sanguan, Li Shimin not only dispatched [-] elite guards, but also let the clan general Li Siyuan serve as the guard, and the three war gods, King Kong Peng, Shi Wangxiang, etc. fierce general.

Li Shimin believed that even if the Qin army would focus on Sanguan, based on his arrangement at Sanguan, at least he could persist until the reinforcements from Hanzhong arrived.

But no matter how strong the fortress is, it is difficult to resist threats from within.

What Li Shimin was most afraid of was the emergence of traitors in Li Tang, so he was already cautious about the candidate for the guard of Chencang Sanguan, but he didn't expect to come here for whatever he was afraid of, and finally the traitor Li Cunjin appeared.

Li Cunjin (played by Sun Zhongjin) defected to the enemy, causing Chen Cang to surrender without a fight.

After Qin Junbing took Chencang without bloodshed, he raided the pass non-stop, and the pass was unresponsive, and finally fell in just one night.

After hearing the news of the fall of Chencang and Sanguan, not only Li Shimin, but most of Li Tang's senior officials felt that the sky was about to collapse.

The retreat is cut off, and there are enemies on all sides. If the passage cannot be opened, the Qin army will be able to trap the Tang army to death. How can we fight?

After Li Tang became a minister and became a vassal state of Great Qin, the pro-Qin faction inside Li Tang began to rise, even Li Shimin couldn't suppress it.

Now that the four passes have been lost, Guanzhong has been turned into a prison, and Li Tang is gradually heading for subjugation, many officials of the anti-Qin faction have also changed their attitudes and joined the pro-Qin camp.

The meeting hall of Duke Tang Mansion.

Zhangsun Wuji, Li Kui, Li Si, Yang Jian, Yang Biao, Yang Xiu, Yu Wentai, Li Yu and other high-level officials all gathered together.

It's just that among these people, which ones are pro-Qin faction and which are anti-Qin faction, even Li Shimin himself doesn't know.

Changsun Wuji was captured in the first Guanzhong War. Later, because Li Tang became a vassal state of Daqin, and he refused to surrender no matter what he said, he was released by Daqin.

The senior officials in the pro-Qin faction obviously will not express their attitude easily, and those who stand up are middle and low-level officials, with only a few representatives of senior officials.

Although their level is not enough, but the number is large, they all said that they can't start a war with Daqin, and they will seek peace with Daqin at all costs, even if they give up Guanzhong, they will not hesitate to cede land and pay compensation.

The anti-Qin faction claimed to fight to the last soldier.

The two sides quarreled over this.

Before Li Jing came to Chang'an, Li Tang himself was in chaos.

"Report...to my lord, the envoy of Qin is here."

"Very courageous."

A cold light flashed in Li Shimin's eyes, and he couldn't restrain the anger in his heart.

Daqin went to war without declaring it, and after unilaterally instigated the war, he even dared to send envoys over. Do you really think that Li Shimin has no temper?
"Let him in."

After saying that, Li Shimin took a deep breath and said coldly: "Come here, set up a frying pan outside the hall."

"promise."

When the pro-Qin faction heard this, they all turned pale with shock, thinking that Li Shimin had turned to the anti-Qin faction and was ready to resist to the end.

The anti-Qin faction and the pro-Qin faction thought the same thing, so all of them were happy.

Ban Chao arrived at the main hall under the guidance of the guard Yin, and saw the boiling oil pan in front of the hall. Even if he had guessed that Li Shimin would embarrass him, he was also taken aback by the scene in front of him.

If you throw people in, it won't be long before they will be cooked.

Not afraid, I am not afraid.

Ban Chao took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, walked into the center of the hall with his head held high, bowed to Li Shimin, and said, "Ban Chao, the envoy of Great Qin, has seen Tang Guogong."

"Ban Chao?"

Li Shimin's eyes narrowed slightly. Daqin's first literary champion can be said to have a bright future. How dare he come to Chang'an at this time?

Is it due to meritorious deeds that have lost their strength?
Or was it considered an outcast?

For a moment, Li Shimin thought a lot, but he didn't go deep into it, and obviously didn't care about Ban Chao's intentions.

"Emissary Qin, are you looking for death?"

Li Shimin said indifferently, without hiding the murderous intent in his eyes.

No matter how talented Ban Chao was, he was only a young man in his 20s. He had never seen such a scene before. He was so frightened by Li Shimin's murderous aura that he trembled and pinched his thigh hard to dispel his fear with the pain.

After Ban Chao took a deep breath, he said neither humble nor overbearing: "I have been ordered to come here to challenge Tang Guo."

Li Kui stood up when he heard this, and said coldly: "Daqin fought unannouncedly and attacked Sanguan. Now that Sanguan has been broken, you are sent to fight. Don't you think it's a bit late?"

"Sanguan was breached? Why so fast?"

At this moment, Ban Chao took out the best eyes in his life, and his face showed various emotions such as surprise and joy.

Seeing this, Li Kui couldn't help but twitched the corners of his mouth, and said angrily, "Emissary Qin, is it me asking you, or you asking me?"

"Ah, no, it's because I lost my composure. I ate my stomach badly. I was delayed on the road for two days, but I didn't expect that Gongsun Xuanyuan was able to conquer Sanguan in just two days. I was a little surprised."

"you……"

Hearing this, Li Kui was so angry that he wanted to hit someone. He had never seen such a shameless person in his life.

A sneak attack without declaring war is a sneak attack, and you still say it so high-soundingly, you want to change the nature of the sneak attack because you were delayed on the road?This is too shameless.

Not only Li Kui, but also many ministers present were all elated after hearing Ban Chao's words, glaring at him and yelling at him.

"enough."

As soon as Li Shimin's voice fell, the audience was silent again, which also made Ban Chao lament the high prestige of Li Shimin.

"Emissary Qin, please tell me the reason why Great Qin went to war against Tang.

My Tang Kingdom has surrendered to Daqin, and I have never been contemptuous in paying tribute to Daqin, but Daqin went to war without declaring war and attacked its own vassal state. Is this deceiving me, Li Shimin, as weak and deceitful?

You must have seen the frying pan outside the hall, if your answer is not satisfactory to me, then don't blame me for taking your sacrificial flag. "

"Reporting to Mr. Tang, the country of Tang violated the regulations in the "Treaty of Luoyang" many times... and Mr. Tang was obviously not sick, but refused to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday..."

Ban Chaoyue said that Li Shimin's complexion became worse.

In order to occupy the righteousness, Daqin really took great pains, and even found the Luoyang Treaty.

It is true that Tang State failed to complete several items in the Luoyang Treaty, but that was all a year and a half ago. Da Qin did not bring it up at that time, but used this as an excuse a year and a half later. This is not unreasonable.

What's more, move out the Queen's Birthday Douban.

Although Li Shimin felt that Daqin did everything possible to weave interfaces in order to start a war, but these reasons are indeed tenable.

"Emissary Qin, I am very dissatisfied with your answer."

Li Shimin's face was gloomy, and he ordered coldly: "Come here, throw him into the oil pan."

"promise."

Two burly men walked in, pressed Ban Chao and headed for the frying pan.

On the surface, Ban Chao was calm and composed. Seeing this situation, he was still a little flustered in his heart, but there was someone who was more panicked than him, and that was the pro-Qin faction inside Li Tang.

Officials from the pro-Qin faction came forward one after another, saying that killing the envoy of Qin at this time would have no effect at all except to vent his anger, and would leave Qin and Tang with no room to turn around.

After seeing this scene, many pro-Qin factions who hid and did not speak out couldn't sit still, and stood up to persuade Li Shimin to give up the idea of ​​​​killing the envoys, including Li Si and Li Kui.

Seeing this, the anti-Qin faction couldn't sit still anymore, and they all stood up to refute, saying that the Great Qin fought without declaring, and took the initiative to provoke the war, leaving no room for it.

The two sides quarreled over this.

"Shut up for me."

Li Shimin's angry roar came, and the noise at the scene disappeared immediately.

Although Li Shimin controlled the situation, his heart was cold.

The reaction of everyone just now has shown everything. Even the close officials such as Changsun Wuji, Li Kui, and Li Si are speaking for the Qin envoy. Are they all pro-Qin faction?
If this is the case, even if he decides to persevere to the end, this battle will still be impossible.

Ban Chao seemed to be an outsider, looking at these with a calm face, but secretly pleased in his heart.

As expected, he guessed correctly, once the pass was lost, even Li Shimin couldn't hold it back, Li Tang's internal affairs were already unstable, and the pro-Qin faction had become the mainstream, this time the attack on Tang would surely win a complete victory.

After the Tang State completely lost Guanzhong and its 10,000+ army, self-protection was still insufficient, and it was no longer able to threaten Daqin.

"Throw him into the frying pan." Li Shimin said calmly.

The two soldiers were stunned when they heard the words, Li Shimin continued: "Why, didn't you understand what I said? Do you want me to say it again?"

The two shuddered, picked up Ban Chao and walked towards the frying pan, which also surprised Ban Chao.

This is different from what he thought. Under such a great resistance, even if Li Shimin doesn't think about his own family, why should he leave a way out for the Li family?

Seeing the oil pan getting closer and closer, Ban Chao's heart was filled with bitterness and unwillingness. After all, he still underestimated the hearts of these heroes.

But at this moment, Li Kui and Changsun Wuji ran out together and stood in front of the frying pan, preventing Ban Chao from being thrown into it.

Li Si was about to rush out, but seeing that Li Kui and Changsun Wuji were one step ahead of him, he retreated.

"Li Kui, Changsun Wuji, what are you doing?" Li Shimin said angrily.

"My lord, Ban Chao cannot be killed." Li Kui said pleadingly.

"That's right, my lord, please calm down." Changsun Wuji said in a deep voice.

"What if I insist on killing him?"

Li Shimin said coldly, but there was a dull pain in his heart.

After Li Ru and Du Ruhui died in battle, Li Kui became his mastermind, and although Changsun Wuji was captured alive by the Qin army, he was still his most important military adviser and general.

But now these two confidants are actually against him, how can this not make Li Shimin feel sad.

After hearing Li Shimin's words, Li Kui and Changsun Wuji looked at each other and said in unison: "If the Lord wants to kill, then throw us into the frying pan first."

After saying that, both of them raised their heads and closed their eyes, as if they were going to sacrifice their lives for righteousness.

"You, you..."

Li Shimin was so angry that he couldn't speak out, and the murderous intent in his heart kept brewing, but in the end it still blew out.

One of these two was his brother-in-law, and the other was a cousin of the same clan, and he couldn't bear to kill them at all.

Li Shimin sat down with a slumped face, and said powerlessly: "Put Ban Chao in custody first."

"promise."

Hearing this, Ban Chao heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. He knew that he had made the right bet, and that he must have a strong hand in attacking Tang this time.

Before Ban Chao was taken away from the main hall, he turned his head to look at Li Shimin above, and said with a sneer in his heart, "Li Shimin, you will regret not killing me."

(End of this chapter)