Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 486: Empress Wu's Strangeness

When Chen Qingsi heard Li Zhi suddenly mention Wang Xiaojie, he instantly understood what he meant.

Compared with Cheng Wuting, Li Zhi should trust Wang Xiaojie more.

Chen Qingsi knew Wang Xiaojie. He was one of the few great generals in Wu Zhou. He joined the army at a young age, fought in many battles, and made many military achievements.

His most brilliant military achievement was probably the recapture of the four towns of Anxi and the defeat of the combined forces of Tubo and Western Turks near Qinghai Lake.

But he also suffered many defeats. When the Battle of Sulakhan Mountain broke out, Wang Xiaojie was appointed as the general manager of Subian Road and led an army of hundreds of thousands to fight against the Tubo generals Lun Qinling and Zanpo. He was beaten so badly by Lun Qinling that he didn't recognize his parents and almost his entire army was wiped out.

The next year, Wu Zetian had no one to use. Facing the Khitan invasion, Wang Xiaojie led 180,000 troops to attack the Khitan. As a result, he was forced to jump off a cliff and die by the small Khitan.

Judging from Wang Xiaojie's performance, there is no doubt that he is capable, but if you really want to say how strong this ability is, there is a question mark.

After two major defeats, with 300,000 casualties, and being defeated by a famous general like Lun Qinling, there was an excuse that the opponent was too strong. But the situation of Feilong riding on his face ended up forcing Khitan Sun Wanrong to jump off a cliff and commit suicide, which was really a loss of face.

In short, Wang Xiaojie had his glorious moments, but the defeat was really terrible and his ability level fluctuated greatly.

On the contrary, Cheng Wuting's performance was very stable. From the surprise attack on the Turkic Yazhang Jinshan and the forced surrender of Ashina Funian, Cheng Wuting was a mountain in front of the Turkic. Since he was responsible for guarding against the Turkic, the Turkic no longer posed a threat. Even after Cheng Wuting was unjustly killed by Wu Zetian, the Turkic people were overjoyed to hear of Cheng Wuting's death, celebrated with a feast, and immediately marched south. In order to humiliate Wu Zetian, a temple was specially built for Cheng Wuting. Every time they went out to plunder Wu Zhou, they would come here to pray and worship.

Compared with Wang Xiaojie, Chen Qingsi trusts Cheng Wuting more.

However, since Li Zhi liked Wang Xiaojie, Chen Qingsi was not in a position to contradict him and said, "I have worked with Cheng Wuting in Baekje for two years. He has the style of his father. As for Wang Xiaojie, I don't know him and have never met him. It is difficult to judge his ability. But since he is liked by Lord Su Xing, he must have some ability."

After hearing Chen Qingsi's reminder, Li Zhi finally reacted.

Wang Xiaojie had followed Su Dingfang for many years and was deeply loved by him, while Cheng Wuting was just a new general transferred from the eastern front to the western front. Why did Su Dingfang choose Cheng Wuting instead of Wang Xiaojie, who was closer to him?
With this in mind, Li Zhi decided not to change anymore.

Recently, someone suggested to him that he should make use of Wang Xiaojie. He was somewhat tempted. After all, the Longyou soldiers had been trained by Su Dingfang, were valued by the court, and were very strong. It would be better to let a more trustworthy person lead them.

Now after hearing what Chen Qingsi said, he gave up the idea.

Although he did not understand military affairs, he knew how to employ people. Su Dingfang and Chen Qingsi both thought that Cheng Wuting was capable, so Cheng Wuting must be capable.

The two of them started talking about the Arab Empire again.

"A Luohan of Fulin has some news that is unfavorable to us. It was passed to you yesterday, but you probably didn't know it yet. The Arab Kingdom sent an envoy, willing to make a truce with Fulin."

Chen Qingsi was a little surprised to hear the news, but after thinking about it carefully, it was reasonable.

The Tang Dynasty is now very powerful. During this Fengshan ceremony, the Arab Empire even sent people to learn about the situation in the Tang Dynasty.

Muawiyah, the king of the Caliphate, was another great ruler who pushed the Caliphate to its peak.

Since the decision has been made to shift strategy eastwards and to fight the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions, it is natural that we cannot be attacked from all sides. It is a wise move to make friends with neighboring countries.

Chen Qingsi asked: "The Fulin Kingdom should be shaken after hearing this news."

Arohan had strong diplomatic skills. He was ordered to go to Byzantium, known as the Eastern Roman Empire. Relying on the power of the Tang Dynasty, he met the Byzantine Emperor Constans II on the Italian peninsula. In a very short time, he became friends with the Byzantine Empire and united with the surrounding small countries to agree to attack the Arab Empire together, thus successfully completing the task.

But judging from the current situation, I'm afraid all our efforts will fail.

Li Zhi looked at Chen Qingsi with emotion and exclaimed, "You got it right again. A Luohan's letter said that the King of Fulin was wavering."

He paused and said, "I am a little curious, why is it that you can know the outcome of so many things just by telling me the beginning?"

Chen Qingsi said after a moment: "This is not difficult to guess. The rise of the Arab Empire has two major victims. The first is Persia, and the second is Fulin. Persia was almost destroyed, and the only royal bloodline was preserved under the protection of our dynasty. Fulin also lost a large area of ​​land, and relied on Constantinople to maintain the face of the former Roman Empire. But in fact, Fulin also suffered heavy losses, otherwise it would not have moved its capital from Constantinople to the Italian Peninsula."

"My Tang Dynasty is not Cao Wei, and the Arab Empire is not Shu Han. If we are tigers, then the Arab Empire is a lion. Fulin Kingdom can barely be considered a wolf, a lame wolf. When lions and tigers fight, how can the wolf have anything to do? What the wolf has to consider is never whether to follow the lion to fight the tiger, or follow the tiger to fight the lion, but how to prevent itself from being eaten after the tiger or lion wins."

"The best outcome is that both the tiger and the lion will suffer losses, or even perish together. The choice is obvious."

"Before, he agreed to join us in dealing with the Arab Empire because the Arab Empire wanted to invade him. Now that the Arab Empire is willing to cease fire, the result will inevitably be a situation where he will just sit back and watch the fight between lions and tigers. After all, not everyone is Jiang Dongjie's...Sun Quan's."

I slipped up and almost said Jiangdong Jerry.

Li Zhi suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. Now that you have explained it, everything makes sense. You are indeed capable of winning a battle thousands of miles away..."

This principle sounds simple, but who could have thought of it before he said it?
Li Zhi did not care about the fact that Byzantium could not send troops. He just said, "That's fine. I don't expect them to contribute. Just don't cause trouble."

Even though Li Zhi did not understand military affairs, he knew one thing: he could trust Chen Qingsi and the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty in military affairs, but he would not trust Byzantium. From the beginning, he did not expect Byzantium to make any great contribution.

Li Zhi looked at the sky and said, "It's almost noon. My dear, please stay and have dinner with me. It just so happens that the King of Pei often thinks of you. If I could have dinner with you, I would be very happy."

Chen Qingsi happily bowed to express his gratitude.

Li Zhi had been busy all morning and was a little tired. He did not go to the inner palace dining hall, but directly held a banquet in the Wude Hall and asked someone to invite Prince Pei Li Xian.

Who knew that not only Prince Pei Li Xian came, but also Empress Wu. Empress Wu was holding Li Xian's hand. Seeing Chen Qingsi, an outsider, she was very surprised and said hurriedly, "So Minister Chen is here too! Your Majesty, I was handling some trivial matters in the outer palace. I learned that Your Majesty summoned Xian'er to have dinner, so I wanted to accompany Your Majesty. I don't want to disturb Your Majesty and Minister Chen from discussing business, so I'll take my leave now."

She said this and tried to pull Li Xian away.

Li Zhi has become much more pleasing to Empress Wu recently, and his ambition, which used to require him to suppress it from time to time, has also disappeared.

Li Zhi felt that he had the skills to train his wife and tame Empress Wu.

In this life, Empress Wu did not become his political ally, but as the Empress of the Tang Dynasty, she was not only able to rule the harem, but also to assist him in handling government affairs and to take the blame for him at special times. Facing such an omnipotent Empress, it was difficult for him to be dissatisfied or dislike her.

"That's fine. Lord Chen is not an outsider. The Queen and Prince Pei can dine together."

Li Xian had been held back by his mother, looking very reluctant. But when he heard Li Zhi speak, he was overjoyed. He broke away from his mother and said to his father, "Father, I wish to sit at the same table with Mr. Chen."

Empress Wu was furious and said, "Don't be rude."

Her voice was a bit shrill.

Li Xian felt a little aggrieved.

Li Zhi obviously liked this talented son very much and said, "What's the big deal? Queen, please don't make a fuss. Can Chen Aiqing teach Prince Pei bad things? I agree..."

As he spoke, he turned to Chen Qingsi and said, "Chen Aiqing, you can test the King of Pei for me. I often test the King of Pei on his studies, and he can answer them fluently. I am afraid that he will become arrogant, so it is a good opportunity for you to let the King of Pei know that there is always someone better than you."

Li Zhi's words were full of boasting. Chen Qingsi could tell that Li Zhi really liked Li Xian, and this liking was a bit excessive.

This is not surprising.

Li Hong is a good kid, but he is not the kind of kid who is liked by others. He is obedient, well-behaved, kind and moderate. Such a kid makes people worry-free, but he is not pleasing to others. Apart from kindness and filial piety, he seems to have nothing else to show for it.

Li Xian was different. He was naturally intelligent, handsome, cute, well-mannered, and had a photographic memory. He could recite poems at a young age and could memorize the thousand-word "Three Character Classic" by heart, something he could show off to others.

People are made of flesh and blood; it is impossible not to be biased.

This is true even if they are blood relatives.

This was Li Zhi's family affair, so Chen Qingsi was not in a position to intervene. He could only say, "Prince Pei is a genius. I am far inferior to him at the same age. His achievements are definitely greater than mine..."

Although Li Zhi knew that this was flattery, he still laughed happily.

There was a flash of contempt in Empress Wu's eyes, hiding a look of how could she be compared with my son.

Li Xian was very modest: "If I can be one tenth of you, I will be satisfied."

Four people were seated.

Li Xian quickly hid from Chen Qingsi and asked him some questions about his studies.

Chen Qingsi also answered patiently. Over the years, he had been commenting on other people's articles as a great scholar, and most of the people he interacted with were famous literati in history.

Chen Qingsi's own knowledge was also enriched, and he could answer Li Xian's questions calmly.

Moreover, the knowledge of later generations that Chen Qingsi possessed was integrated into his blood. Although he had a deep understanding of this era, he did not discard the knowledge in his memory. Instead, he integrated the two so that people of this era could understand and accept it.

Therefore, although Chen Qingsi's literary skills were not deep, people who interacted with him attributed it to his youth and poverty, and the fact that he had read few books of sages, but in things other than the books of sages, he was not inferior to anyone.

This situation was not accepted by the world after the emergence of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism.

But the Tang Dynasty was known for its tolerance, so there was no problem.

Li Xian also heard things from Chen Qingsi that ordinary teachers could not teach him, and his face was filled with joy.

When Chen Qingsi was instructing Li Xian, neither Li Zhi nor Empress Wu interrupted him, but just listened and watched from the upper seats.

Chen Qingsi did not feel any pressure under the gaze of the emperor and empress, but he had a strange feeling. Li Zhi had a smile in his eyes, and although Empress Wu had a smile on her face, there was an inexplicable worry in her eyes.

"What you said is very good! It is better than what Li Xian's teachers said. It would be great if I could become your disciple and listen to your teachings more often."

Li Xian was quick-witted and knew that these words were obviously directed at Li Zhi and Empress Wu.

Empress Wu's eyes were filled with even more worry, and she couldn't help but glance at Li Zhi, somewhat worried that he would agree.

Li Zhi naturally would not agree. Although he preferred Li Xian, he had no intention of changing the crown prince.

If Chen Qingsi became Li Xian's husband, Li Xian would gain a huge amount of political capital.

Li Zhi had experienced the struggle between Li Chengqian and Li Tai, and would not repeat the same mistake. He said, "Mr. Chen is my right-hand man and is responsible for handling state affairs. How can I be distracted from teaching you? The teacher I hired for you is no less talented than Mr. Chen in terms of literary skills."

Li Xian looked regretful, while Empress Wu was obviously relieved.

Chen Qingsi had another strange feeling. He felt that Empress Wu was very disgusted with him being with Li Xian.

After all, I am a leader of scholars in the government. Even though my cultural foundation is not solid enough, I shouldn't be despised, right?

Chen Qingsi was a little surprised and asked pointedly, "The King of Pei is very smart, and his poetry and prose skills are unmatched by his peers. But don't just focus on literature, you also need to practice riding and archery. The six arts of a gentleman are etiquette, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. Archery and charioteering are as important as calligraphy and mathematics."

Li Xian whispered, "Don't worry, sir. My mother takes my studies very seriously. She has a full schedule of six arts for a gentleman and never slacks off. Eating with my father and mother every day is actually my freest time."

Chen Qingsi's eyes moved around, as if he was thinking about something.

Chen Qingsi hadn't eaten enough yet, and Li Zhi was almost full too.

Li Xian didn't eat much when he was young, and the same was true for Empress Wu's daughters.

Before the two men had finished their meal, Empress Wu asked to take Li Xian downstairs to rest.

Chen Qingsi watched the two of them leave.

Li Xian was reluctant to leave and looked back, but Empress Wu pulled him away quickly.

Li Zhi smiled and said, "The Queen is too doting on Prince Pei."

Chen Qingsi replied: "Prince Pei is smart and clever. As a mother, it is normal for her to dote on him more."

Li Zhi nodded in agreement. He naturally felt that this was the right thing to do.

Chen Qingsi walked out of the palace slowly, what he had seen today echoing in his mind. From a mother's perspective, Empress Wu's behavior today was a little strange. Since she loved Li Xian, she should have done good for Li Xian, so why didn't she want to stay with Li Xian longer?

If it's for Li Hong, then it makes sense.

After all, Li Hong is the crown prince and the future emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

As an important official of the country, it is inappropriate for him to have too much contact with Li Xian.

But a contradiction arose. From a political perspective, Empress Wu's attitude towards Li Xian was even more strange.

As a woman, she now relies on Li Zhi, and in the future she will rely on Crown Prince Li Hong.

Now Li Hong is about to steal the home of a minister in the Eastern Palace. She does not want to win back Li Hong, but instead pays so much attention to Li Xian. It does not make sense at all.

unless……

(End of this chapter)