Aspiring to the Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 408
Li Congjia was carrying a heavy burden, Luo Youdu naturally opened the door for him.

Li Congjia took the boat going south, and the journey was unimpeded.

It goes south from Bianjing to the Huaihe River, and then goes south all the way from the Guanshui Caoqu of the Huaihe River to Yangzhou.

The Grand Canal in the Sui and Tang Dynasties was easily blocked, even flush with the shore.

The salt and food in the Jianghuai River are very important to the Central Plains court. Luo Youdu sent people to dredge and dredge the silt many times to ensure smooth water transportation.

Therefore, Li Congjia went down the river, and within a day and night, he arrived in Yangzhou.

Li Congjia did not stay in Yangzhou, but went directly to Jinling by boat across the river.

Stepping into Jinling again, it was snowing lightly in the sky, and the prosperity of Jinling remained the same.

But Li Congjia had other feelings. Looking at the smug literati holding umbrellas on the left and right, looking at the slightly numb people wearing thin clothes running in the snow, thinking about the scene of Bianjing, the unspeakable feeling A sense of depression welled up in my heart.

All the way to the palace, Li Congjia was favored by Li Jing the most, and he had the privilege of entering and leaving the palace at will in Jiangnan.

He went directly to the main hall of Li Jing's bedroom and waited.

After entering the main hall, Li Congjia felt comfortable all over, and the cold air dissipated instantly.

Except for him, there was no one in the main hall of the bedroom, but the charcoal fire was still burning, making the main hall as warm as summer.

Li Congjia thought about Zhou Zong's words, and his feelings were even deeper.

Li Jing played and sang all night, and is still sleeping at the moment.

Hearing that his beloved son had returned, he was overjoyed, he didn't care about putting on clothes, he just put on a coat and left the bedroom, and came to the main hall of the bedroom.

"You kid, finally...willing to come back!"

Li Jing was reluctant to speak seriously, and looked at the slightly darkened Aiko, his eyes were a little red.

"The child is not filial, I have seen my father!"

Li Congjia also knew that he was hiding in the Central Plains, and he was ashamed of his filial piety, so he knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times.

Li Jing frowned slightly, father and father were two different concepts.

But seeing Li Congjia's dusty face and traces of melting snow on his body, knowing that he didn't go back to the house to rest, and came to see him directly, Li Jing's heart softened again, and he didn't blame him, so he helped him up and seriously Looking at Aizi, he said, "Father appreciated all the poems you wrote in the Central Plains, and was very happy. It's good to go out for a walk, at least you will increase your knowledge, and the poems will also be majestic. Especially the poem about climbing Mount Tai. I feel that it is no less than Du Shaoling's "Wang Yue"."

Li Congjia said: "Father, my son is here for state affairs. The Central Plains court has sent troops to Jinghu and Jiangnan, and I am afraid it is also planned."

Li Jing's face paled in an instant, his body swayed, and he almost fell down. He said in a trembling voice: "I have never committed any disobedience in Jiangnan. Why doesn't the Central Plains want to let me go?"

Li Congjia said: "I personally met the emperor of the Central Plains for this reason, and the emperor said bluntly, how can there be a state within a state in a unified dynasty?"

He sighed and said: "Father, the one who is unified, the Liuhe winds, the nine states run together, the emperor of the Central Plains is determined to unify, and there will be no room for maneuver."

Li Jing grabbed Li Congjia and said, "My son, tell me, if the Central Plains goes south, can I be in Jiangnan?"

Li Congjia shook his head and said: "I can't. The emperor of the Central Plains has my style of going to Emperor Taizong, and with the current strength of the Central Plains, he can destroy our Jiangnan without even using a large army, just a brigade of divisions is enough."

The Li family in the south of the Yangtze River claimed to be the descendants of Li and Tang. When I was Emperor Taizong, I was naturally referring to Li Shimin.

Li Jing was even more frightened.

Li Congjia said: "Father, my son is here to persuade my father. Rather than hitting a stone with an egg, it is better to submit to the Central Plains in order to get rich."

Li Jing's face was full of surprise, looking at Li Congjia, he realized that his son was actually a lobbyist for the Central Plains.

What's happening here?
Li Jing said solemnly: "Xiu's nonsense, as my heir to the south of the Yangtze River, how can you say such treasonous words?"

Li Congjia knelt down and said, "Father, it's not that the child is afraid of death, it's irreversible!"

Li Jing was about to speak, but he heard Prince Li Hongji begging to see him.

Li Jing felt angry for a moment, and was about to drive him away, but thinking that the matter was serious, he suppressed his anger and ordered Li Hongji to be called into the house.

Li Hongji entered the hall to say hello, and said impatiently: "Father, the Central Plains sent troops to Jinghu, we can't wait for death. We must contact Wuyue and Bashu. Only by forming an alliance and unanimously, can we have a chance of winning."

Li Congjia shouted anxiously: "No, brother, the power of the Central Plains is beyond your imagination. This is the way to die."

Li Hongji was a little startled. The always cowardly little Liu Liu dared to refute himself. Did he hit him too lightly?

Although Li Hongji declared to the outside world that he was drunk and made a mistake, he never thought that he was wrong in his heart.

This eldest brother is like a father, what's wrong with beating his disobedient younger brother?

Li Hongji glared at Li Congjia, and said, "How powerful is it? I have a Yangtze River moat in the south of the Yangtze River, which can hold back hundreds of thousands of troops. In the past, Cao Cao overwhelmed Sun Liu? Isn't it the same? He was defeated by Chibi, and the army was wiped out in ashes."

Li Congjia was still a little guilty at the beginning, but thinking about what he had seen and heard in the Central Plains, he said loudly: "Sun Liu has Zhuge and Zhou Lang, how can I be such a person? Cao Cao is not familiar with water warfare, and the Central Plains navy is even better. The middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River are all in the Central Plains." Control, why is there a natural moat to talk about. Brother, in order to care for the thousands of people in the south of the Yangtze River, it is better to submit..."

"Bastard!" Li Hongji was furious. If Jiangnan officials heard that the Jiangnan royal family took the lead in surrendering, it would surely shake the morale of the army. In a fit of anger, he raised his fist high and wanted to beat his younger brother up.

Li Congjia jumped away like a rabbit in fright.

Li Jing was in a mess, but no matter what, he didn't want to surrender.

After all, with this surrender, the Li family's Sheji ancestral temple could not be kept.

Although there is endless money to spend, what is the meaning of being rich at that time?
What he wants to be rich and honor is that the stars hold the moon, the literati in the south of the Yangtze River sing praises to him, and enjoy the feeling of being above ten thousand people, instead of sleeping with a bunch of dead things.

As for the people in the south of the Yangtze River that Li Congjia was talking about?
What does it have to do with them?
But even though Li Congjia was wrong, it was not Li Hongji's turn to teach him a lesson.

"Stop, what do you want to do? I'm not dead yet!"

Li Jing glared at Li Hongji.

Li Hongji was so frightened that he knelt down on the ground, not daring to speak.

Li Jing said angrily: "Even if Liu Lang is wrong in every possible way, he just needs to teach him well, why do he do it?"

Li Hongji said sadly: "Father, once Liulang's words are heard, the morale of the army will be greatly damaged, and they will be even more powerless to resist."

Li Jing glanced at Li Congjia, who was anxious, and said to Li Hongji, "How do you plan to deal with it?"

Li Hongji said: "The Central Plains is powerful. With the situation in the south of the Yangtze River, we are invincible. Only by uniting Wuyue, Lingnan Han, Bashu, Wuping, and all the southern forces to deal with the Central Plains can we win."

Li Jing frowned and said: "Lingnan Han Kingdom and Wuping are easy to talk about. Bashu Mengchang is as timid as a mouse. He was frightened by the Central Plains. As for Wu Yue, he has a close relationship with the Central Plains. He has been invited by the Central Plains many times and is an enemy of our Jiangnan , how can they agree to the covenant?"

Li Hongji said: "Father, don't worry, it was because the Central Plains didn't intend to go south before. They can stay out of the matter, but now everyone knows the Central Plains' intention to go south. At this critical time, I believe they dare not stay out of the matter."

(End of this chapter)