The third emperor of the Sui Dynasty

Chapter 867 The Three Li Brothers

The family banquet ended in a hurry. Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin walked out of the inner palace silently. After arriving at the imperial city, seeing that Li Jiancheng was not in high spirits, Li Shimin asked, "Brother seems to be in a bad mood. Is it because of the rule of law?"

"After I came back from Xiangyang, I was in a bad mood." Li Jiancheng smiled wryly, and said: "I have made it very clear that I am not against the rule of law, but the rule of law cannot be done in this way. This time is really too much. It is shaking the foundation of the country. ah."

Li Shimin shook his head, "I can't say that completely. Although we killed chickens to get eggs, if we don't kill these chickens, our officials and soldiers will starve to death."

Li Jiancheng said: "In fact, this is what Yang Tong is behind, and it is also the effect he wants to see. We are worried that Yizhou's tyrants will not lose their tails, and they need to use their wealth to support the army. But Yang Tong also hates these local tyrants, but He took advantage of our urgent need for money and food, so let us be villains. This is the fundamental reason why Yang Tong was willing to truce. He didn't threaten Datang with war, but he hoped that we could concentrate on liquidating the remnants of the Guanlong nobles, the Kanto Gentlemen, local tyrants, lay a good foundation for him."

Li Shimin nodded silently, he agreed with this statement, it's no secret that Yang Tong hates aristocratic families and local tyrants.But this is not the reason why the father did not kill. It is only because the incomplete 29 counties in Yizhou are the last territory of the Tang Dynasty. Among them, the southern counties are the territory of the Liao people, and the northern part does not produce grain. How can they support ten people? How many 20 troops?But the question is what should they do after they use up all the money and food they have looted?
Li Jiancheng asked again: "Second brother, how is the situation in Dangchang?"

Although the two brothers have their own political demands, they are both placed under national interests, and they occasionally exchange letters. For the benefit of the Tang Dynasty, they will make certain sacrifices to each other. Over time, the two have formed a tacit understanding.

"How else?" Li Shimin smiled wryly, and said: "Although I have adopted the system of sticking to the border and garrisoning the fields, the trees want to be quiet but the wind does not stop. The Sui army will yell at the border five times in a single day and ten times in two days. , Our soldiers have to face the almost endless harassment every day, and they are exhausted. This is Yang Tong laying the foundation for the next year, no, this year's life-and-death decision. If we move our troops southward, if we lose important places such as Dangchang and Wudu, there will be no danger to defend the flat Chengdu Plain."

Li Jiancheng said: "Our army is seriously injured, most of the soldiers are recruits, and their morale is low. How can we be the enemy of the tiger and wolf division of the Sui Dynasty? The key is that we have lost not only the army, but also a large number of generals who can recruit and fight well. Even if they survived the battlefield by luck, they were cleaned up. Back then, our army in the Tang Dynasty was full of talented people. We were no less than the Sui Dynasty. Looking at today, the third and fourth ranks like Changsun Shunde are considered top-notch. , but in the past, these people did not even have the qualifications to be the leader. Now my Tang Dynasty has no generals to use, not to mention the generals who can be compared with Yang Gongren, Wei Yunqi, Yang Shanhui, Pei Renji, Qin Qiong, and Luo Shixin. There are almost no more senior military officers, and it is difficult for the remaining ones to be the commander-in-chief of the first army."

"I know that." Li Shimin glanced at his elder brother: "I will make a northern expedition at the end of the year. First, I want to stabilize the Tubo people. I also want to take advantage of the Sui army's rectification and attack Jiangyuan. When the Sui army is undergoing major changes, we must either go north to annex Xihai and Hexi, or go south to conquer the four kingdoms of Tubo, and the power to conquer the enemy will be used by our Tang Dynasty. This is a rare opportunity for us, so I don’t want to miss it.”

Li Jiancheng was silent, he heard Li Shimin's complaints, complaining that he blocked the Northern Expedition.But from the perspective of the general situation, he really didn't dare to use Li Tang's meager family fortune to fight the Sui Dynasty. What's more, there were Dugu Wudu, Taihe Army, and Liao people who were still waiting to be resolved. How could he support Li Shimin in a fight? A no-win battle?
Speaking of it, Li Jiancheng was the one who saw the most clearly in the Tang Dynasty. Based on his understanding of Yang Tong, the Sui army would not attack the Tang Dynasty in the short term. Even if the general wanted to fight, Yang Tong would not agree.

Regardless of his standpoint, he feels that Yang Tong, the emperor of the Sui Dynasty, is infinitely wiser than his father. The Sui army is good at fighting, and each battle can actually further expand the results of the battle. Yang Tong was not sure about taking over the territory, and would rather give it up to his opponent than let these dilapidated places become a burden on the court.

Take last year as an example, in fact, Yang Tong was able to take advantage of the situation and completely wipe out the Li and Tang Dynasty in Jingzhou, but in the end he stopped fighting immediately after seizing the strategic location. And this time, the Sui army could completely chase him to Yizhou , they also stopped and changed to governance.

The reason is just like the Battle of Guanzhong at the beginning. With Yang Tong’s victorious momentum at that time, it was actually enough to wipe them out in Daxing City, and then swept Jingzhou and Yizhou. Yidi, he conquered too much territory last year, and almost sent out all the talents. Now it is obvious that there are not enough management talents in the counties and counties of Yizhou, so Yang Tong gave up his plan to annex Yizhou immediately.

The reason why Li Jiancheng opposed Li Shimin's Northern Expedition was that he was not optimistic about Li Shimin. Li Shimin's seemingly optimistic words were actually gambling with his little strength, and he was simply vulnerable to the Sui Dynasty;
The second is that even if Li Shimin is defeated, Yang Tong will probably let the Tang Dynasty go, because the voices of the people resisting the Sui Dynasty’s rule are still very loud, and before occupying Yizhou, Yang Tong must not only prepare talents for governing Yizhou, but also It is also necessary to let the people be disappointed with the Li Tang Dynasty and not participate in the war, so as to preserve the vitality of Yizhou. If Li Shimin's strength is defeated, then the imperial court can only expand the army in a panic, causing complaints. The people's renunciation fell into Yang Tong's plan.

After a long silence, he said: "Fighting the Sui army is actually a very unwise choice. If we fight the Sui army head-on, there is no chance of winning. For the present plan, we should guard the fortress and wait until we regain our vitality. It is an opportunity for our army to counterattack. However, with the current situation of the Sui Dynasty, it will only become stronger and stronger. Even if it is defeated, it will not hurt the muscles and bones, and we cannot afford the loss of every soldier and every grain. , This is a gap in national strength, and it cannot be changed by one or two victories."

"It is because the gap will increase day by day, so I want to fight, we have no way to retreat."

Li Shimin said lightly, let him be like Li Jiancheng, he can't do it, some things have to be done, even if the result is not good.

"I understand what the second brother said, and I understand it, but..." Li Jiancheng looked forward, shook his head and sighed: "My Tang Dynasty can't afford another fiasco."

Li Shimin remained silent, not because he didn't understand, but when they met an emperor like his father, the Tang military had to face not only the tiger and wolf masters of the Sui Dynasty, but also the suspicion and internal strife from his father.

After so many years, what Li Shimin can feel is not only tiredness, but also tiredness. He doesn't want to be a doll in the hands of his father, and he doesn't want to let his father waste his limited vitality in internal fighting, so he ran to Dangchang 'Self-reliance', and even planned to leave overnight, so as not to be imprisoned.

The two brothers had no words, walked side by side for a while, and then took their leave.

. . . . . . . .

On the evening of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, a troop of cavalry was heading towards Chengdu City at high speed against the heavy snow. The soldiers guarding the city recognized that the leader was Li Yuanji, the king of Qi, and hurried out of the way in fright.Li Yuanji did not stop, and led two hundred Wuchuan guards to his palace.

The eunuch in charge of the palace heard the news and came out to welcome him. Li Yuanji dismounted from his horse and strode inside without looking back, asking, "Is Mr. Han here?"

"Return to Your Highness, Mr. Han is within the palace." The eunuch, who was following small steps and bent over, hurriedly asked and answered.

"Ask him to meet me in the study." Li Yuanji ignored the eunuch and walked straight to his study. Soon, Shi Hanzhi, who is also the head of the palace, hurried over.

"See Your Highness for humble positions." Han Zhi did not patrol the 'world' with Li Yuanji, but took another part of Wu Chuanwei to monitor officials in Chengdu City and deal with various supervision results.

"Sir, you are very polite!" Li Yuanji was very kind to his own people. He pointed to the chair next to him, "Please sit down!"

"Thank you, Your Highness." After Han Zhi took his seat, he said with a smile, "I heard that your Highness has gained a lot from this trip, and the ministers in the court are now praising Your Highness."

Li Yuanji laughed, and said with emotion: "The harvest is indeed good. I never thought that a mere Yizhou tycoon would be so rich, and every household is rich. Your Lingyun Commercial Firm can be regarded as a profitable business, but with these people In comparison, your 'big money' is pitifully small. The wealth of Yizhou has been seized by these tyrants, no wonder the people who occupy the Land of Abundance are so poor, but what does it have to do with the court ministers if I ransack the house?"

Han Zhi said: "The more Your Highness harvests, the more rewards the civil and military officials will receive. They don't say that His Highness is a ghost."

"Don't pay attention to these villains who see profit and forget righteousness." Li Yuanji dismissed the attitude of snobbish officials. He took out a secret order and handed it to Han Zhi: "This is sent to me by my father." Secret decree, I don't quite understand the meaning of my father, so I rushed back to discuss with my husband."

Han Zhi took the secret decree and read it carefully, and immediately understood the hidden meaning of the secret decree, and said with a smile: "Congratulations, Your Highness."

"Father only asked me to monitor the elder brother's every move, but not to give me military power and let me be the prince. What's there to congratulate?"

"The Holy Majesty asked His Highness to monitor the Prince, which means that he no longer believes in the Prince. If His Highness presents some evidence against the Prince, the Prince's situation will be in jeopardy. The Holy Majesty asked His Highness to quietly collect evidence for the Prince, which is the best manifestation of trust." Han Zhi said with a smile.

Li Yuanji shook his head, "I know my elder brother too well. He is a gentle, honest and kind person, and a genuine gentleman. How can there be shady evidence for others to pinch?"

"Your Highness's words are wrong!" Han Zhi shook his head and said, "The so-called groundless rumors may not be without reason. The Holy Majesty suddenly asked His Highness to monitor the prince. It must be that the prince has done something that made the Holy Majesty angry and suspicious! When one person no longer trusts another One person, even if the other party has done ten thousand good deeds, it will be regarded as having ulterior motives. Especially when it comes to such a big event as imperial power, it is even more serious."

"That's true." Li Yuanji nodded awkwardly, because that's how he was.Knowing that the princess is out of the gate, she always suspects that the princess is unfaithful to him, and always feels that the princess and Li Shimin have no ties.In fact, he didn't want to be so suspicious, but he couldn't help but wonder, it was really strange.

Han Zhi said again: "As a courtier, I can't guess what the Holy Majesty wants. I think it has something to do with abdication. When I was in Xiangyang, the Holy Majesty was forced by the situation, and in order to give an explanation to the subjects of the world, he had to make a decision. The decision of the Zen position, however, has been forgotten by the sage until now, and he has no intention of abdicating at all. Although the prince did not mention it, he could not pass the hurdle in his heart. Whenever he saw the prince, his betrayal was reflected from the prince. Abandoning promises, as time goes by, the prince has become a thorn in his heart. As long as there is enough evidence against the prince, then the prince will be abolished as a matter of course. At that time, the person who can inherit the rule will either be His Highness , or King Jin, this is a god-given opportunity, and it depends on whether His Highness can seize it."

"How to catch?"

"His Majesty is now investigating the crown prince, and His Highness can take this opportunity to completely step down the crown prince, and there will be a chance to replace him."

"I'm afraid that if I'm too busy, I'll end up taking advantage of Li Shimin for nothing." Li Yuanji understood Han Zhi's meaning, that is, to use the method of framing his father to abolish and establish him, which is naturally no problem. Made a wedding dress for Li Shimin.

Han Zhi shook his head, "King Jin led his troops away and lost the opportunity to run the court. In addition, he led his troops to Dangchang without permission, and was also disliked and jealous by the Holy One. If the situation in the court is stable, the Holy Majesty may also settle accounts with him. And His Highness Being trusted by the Holy Majesty, and having the advantage of being in the imperial capital, and being visited by the emperor from time to time, His Highness can take advantage of this convenience to make friends with dignitaries and local officials, especially the key figures must not be missed."

Speaking of this, Han Zhi handed a list to Li Yuanji, "This is the list prepared by the humble official for His Highness. As long as you receive Liu Cheng for your own use, Your Highness's crown prince position will be secured."

Li Yuanji took it over and saw that Li Shentong was ranked first. He could understand this. Li Shentong now controls the army in Chengdu City; .

Li Yuanji was a little puzzled and asked, "Why is Yin Mouse ranked second?"

"If you really want to look into it carefully, the second place should be Concubine Yin De, who is behind Yin Ashu. Although Xiangguo is famous, he doesn't actually have much real power. It can only be used for momentum. No matter how strong they are, they can't compare with Pillow Wind, as long as Concubine Yin De is willing to support His Royal Highness as the reserve, it is stronger than all the prime ministers. And Yin Ashu is just a bridge."

Li Yuanji smiled suddenly: "I am familiar with Yin Ashu's son, so let's start with him."

"Your Highness is brilliant!" Han Zhi praised, and said with a smile, "The same goes for the third Zhang Jieyu."

"I see." Li Yuanji smiled, and when he looked at the list, he found that Zhang Jieyu's father was indeed ranked third; the fourth was Xiangguo Pei Ji, he couldn't help but nodded, Han Zhi was indeed very accurate at seeing people , he asked: "Then where should I start investigating Big Brother?"

Han Zhi pondered for a moment, and then said: "I thought it best for Your Highness to visit the Holy Majesty in the palace first, and then report the achievements to the Holy Majesty, and send some rare palace nobles, princes and princesses to win everyone's favor. This is a New Year's gift. If everyone has a share, the Holy Majesty will not say anything, he will only think that His Highness is sensible; secondly, he has shown his loyalty to the Holy Majesty, letting the Holy Majesty know that whenever there is a call, His Majesty will respond immediately even if it is thousands of miles away. The audience made the Holy Majesty even more gratified; the third is to take the opportunity to learn the truth from the palace, and only by knowing the reason why the Crown Prince made the Holy Majesty angry can we be targeted."

"Thank you for your advice, sir. I'll go and prepare presents right away." Li Yuanji laughed, assuming that everyone had saved them for him.

(End of this chapter)