Will Ming

Chapter 560 IX

Although the chaos in the world since the 11th year of Daye has not been as tragic as before, in order to win people's hearts and consolidate their positions, various anti-kings no longer carry out destructive plundering, but instead farm fields to support the people, so the people controlled by each regime The region has basically restored a relatively stable social order, but there is no doubt that there are still many places where the people have withered and the fields have been barren due to years of war.

Within a few hundred miles around Liyang is the place of the Fourth World War. People would rather drag their families and flee thousands of miles to Taiyuan in the east of the river, or flee to the farther south of the Yangtze River. Few people are willing to stay in their hometown. It's gone, and the township is gone, so they don't have much attachment.

You can see an abandoned village within a short walk on both sides of the official road. Which village next to the official road was not prosperous eight years ago?But after experiencing a catastrophe, the closer the village was to the official road, the more completely it was destroyed.The thieves marched along the official roads, looting along the way, and the people who could escape did not know where they fled.

Standing on the high slope in the silent night and looking around, you can see the flickering will-o'-the-wisps from time to time. In those places with faint light, I don't know how many bones are buried under the soil.Occasionally, I can see an ownerless wild dog that survived eating dead human flesh, and when it sees a living person, it will show its fangs and pounce on it unscrupulously, because these wild dogs are more ferocious than wolves because they eat too much human flesh.The wild wolves didn't dare to get close to the men and horses of the brigade, but the wild dogs didn't care about them. They would rush up ferociously when they smelled the smell of human flesh.

I don't know which passing team set fires on both sides of the official road. The waist-deep dry grass burned for a few days and the fire was sent hundreds of miles by the wind, so there was no need to worry about burning people.But I don't know how many fat rabbits that can't run, as well as long worms hiding in the weeds and waiting for opportunities to hunt, will be burned to death.

In the well-preserved house in a deserted village, there was a faint fire coming out, but it couldn't be seen from a distance through the broken wall.

Li Shimin, wearing a mink velvet cloak, was roasting by the fire, holding a wooden stick in his hand, on which a stripped hare was worn. Because it was too barren, the rabbit was fat and oily. Li Shimin turned it back and forth, and from time to time, oil dripped and fell on the burning charcoal, making a sizzling sound.

While roasting the rabbit, Li Shimin listened attentively, and then a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Finally, the wind stopped. Why is the wind in Henan so strong? When I was alone in my hometown in Longxi, I felt that the winter there was extremely cold, but I didn't expect this place to be colder than Longxi before winter came."

"Actually, there is no Longxi cold, but the surrounding area is too desolate, so it looks colder. The woods are all burned out, and there is nothing to block the knife-like wind, which makes the weather look colder."

Han Shi'e lowered his head and said.

"General Han should be familiar with this area."

Li Shimin asked with a smile.

Han Shi'e's expression changed slightly, and then he nodded and said, "I'm not very familiar with it, but I have been here before. At that time, I led the army to attack Liyang. I passed by here. When I went, Zhixiong Gaoyuan thought that the famous general in the world But it's all a waste of fame. With a [-] army in hand, not to mention Liyang, even the Eastern Capital is within easy reach. People who are arrogant will always be severely beaten in the face. In that battle, the minister was defeated by Yuwen Shiji and Chen Ling. Teaming up to defeat, the [-] army was melted like boiling soup and snow, and the minister led only a few hundred people to break out of the siege, and was finally caught up by Chen Leng's army. If it weren't for his father's old subordinate in his army, That day minister was hanged by Chen Leng."

"Lonely doesn't want you to bring up sad things."

Li Shimin said apologetically.

"This is not a sad thing. Only when you know your shame can you be brave. Since you fell down once in Liyang, if you have the chance to fight again, you will not be as frivolous as before. Naturally, you will not allow another defeat."

"well said!"

Standing behind Li Shimin, Yu Chigong clapped his hands and said, "That's what a man should do. So what if you lost once? As long as you still have this fat body, you will naturally win back!"

"You're a gambler!"

Li Shimin smiled and said: "Since we have arrived here, we will naturally go to Liyang to have a look. The two regiments of the Liehu Camp have not yet returned, so I don't worry about it. If things go well, I have to show my father Take a look. By the way, go to Liyang to visit Li Xian, the king of Yan, and ask him to be a personal witness. Let’s say that the brothers and sisters of Changsun Wuji met Wang Shichong’s ambush when they came back from Liyang. After a lot of fighting, the eldest grandson Shunde retreated to cover Gu and died in battle fearlessly. There are three heroes in his eldest grandson's family. It is expected that the emperor's reward will not be low."

"Your Highness"

Han Shi'e shook his head and said: "Li Xian is vacillating, and he has no heart to submit to Datang. Why should His Highness take risks? If His Highness is worried, I am willing to take a look on your behalf."

"Don't worry, Li Xian will never be tempted by Gu's thoughts... The elder Sun Shunde finally didn't stay by Gu's side in vain, and let Gu know the big secret that day... Didn't you always wonder why with the strength of Li Xianyan's Yunzhai? Like Dou Jiande and Wang Shichong, it is precisely because of the secret that is so nonsense... Otherwise, why would he want to be a minister to my Tang Dynasty with his strength? This matter is interesting...It's so interesting."

"So don't worry, everyone who knows the secret will pretend not to know anything before it's time to make it public, including Li Xian himself. He is leading the army, but he wants to get a higher status from his father. That's all. As for the higher one, he has no chance to fight for it."

What he said was very vague, neither Han Shi'e nor Yu Chigong understood.But Li Shimin will never explain anything, because now he also has to pretend that he doesn't know anything.

……

……

The Imperial Study Room is a revered and mysterious place, and it is unknown how many decisions that affect the world come from here.Those who were lucky enough to walk into the imperial study and sit down to have a serious conversation with the emperor were undoubtedly among the most favored and important ministers in the court.The eunuch Wu Yinghai, the chief servant of the sixth rank, looked at the court official who had just walked into the imperial study room, thinking in his heart that it was so late and he didn't know what important matter His Majesty had summoned him for.Just including the one who arrived earlier, these two people are not important officials of the court, but they were summoned into the imperial study by His Majesty at night, it was a bit weird.

The lights in the imperial study were brightly lit, and the stove was already lit in the room.The wind outside was stern and cold, but the room was warm enough to make people feel a bit lazy, but Fang Xuanling didn't dare to feel lazy, he stood upright, and subconsciously looked to see that he had arrived earlier than himself. Wei Zheng, who was also sitting upright with a solemn expression, kept wondering in his heart what was the important matter for His Majesty to invite the two of them here today.

Previously, only important officials of the imperial court could enter the imperial study, which made Fang Xuanling feel a little apprehensive.He is now only a member of the Ministry of Rites, Wailang, a junior official from the fifth rank.Wei Zheng is the Shi Cheng in the East Palace, and he can't even be regarded as a serious official in the court.He glanced while bowing his head, and could see Wei Zheng's hand on his knee trembling slightly.Fang Xuanling smiled inwardly, and said in her heart that she was not the only one who was afraid of seeing the emperor.

"It's really nothing important to bring you two here at such a late hour. I just kept listening to the crown prince talking about you two. After I finished handling the government affairs, I suddenly remembered, so I called you into the palace to talk casually. The crown prince is right. The two of you are highly respected, and he said that if the two of you use it well, you will be the pillars of the future of the Great Tang Dynasty."

"I am frightened!"

Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng immediately lowered their heads.

"Don't be so restrained, this is not a hall, nor a court meeting, it's just chatting with you, there is no need to endure so hard."

Li Yuan, who was wearing a bright yellow uniform, smiled, pointed at Fang Xuanling and said, "You owe most of your butt when you sit on that mustard stool, but the stool is crooked by you, isn't it so comfortable?"

He pointed to Wei Zheng again and said, "You seem to be sitting firmly, but your legs are trembling, which means that you are supported by your legs, and your buttocks don't dare to sit firmly, is it so happy?"

Li Yuan signaled the waiter to serve tea to the two of them, and said with a smile, "I've already sat down for you. I was born in the army, and the most annoying thing is whether I'm sitting or standing."

"Subordinate to the order"

The two quickly moved their buttocks and sat down on the stool. They subconsciously glanced at each other and saw anxiety and embarrassment in each other's eyes.

"The prince said that you are all talents in governing the country. I still believe his vision. It's just that you have not been officials for long. I remember Fang Xuanling, you are just a member of the Ministry of Rites, and Wei Zheng, you haven't really entered the court... So I don't care. If you want to promote the two of you, you can't do too much, after all, there are so many eyes in the court, I can't do things unfairly... Besides, I can't afford to offend Yushitai's bad mouth."

"But I can't bury you, so...Fang Xuanling, first promote you to be the minister of the Ministry of Rites. Wei Zheng, you should stay with the prince to work, and I will ask him to promote you to be the minister of internal history. After all, you are from the East Palace. , it is better for the crown prince to directly promote you...he is just too cautious and follow the rules, which is really inferior to Shimin."

Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng were both thoughtful, their eyes changed at the same time when they heard the word Shimin, and then they sighed in their hearts almost at the same time: the topic is coming.

But what the Emperor of Tang said next made the two of them immediately heave a sigh of relief.

"My world will be inherited by the prince sooner or later. Since the two of you are talents that the prince values, I will leave you two to the prince. The affairs of the Ministry of Rites are cumbersome but will not take too much thought. The affairs of the East Palace are now It's nothing to worry about. As for how big officials you two can be in the future, and how high you can be awarded, the crown prince will reward you after he ascends the throne."

"Do well."

Li Yuan said a lot of words for no reason, then waved his hands casually and said, "I'm tired, you go back."

The two quickly got up to salute, and then withdrew from the imperial book