Although Li Kaigu was a Khitan, he also learned the art of war. Don't stop returning to the army, besiege the division must be que, and don't be forced to be poor, this is a military quote from "Sun Tzu's Art of War--Chapter VII--Military Struggle". It means that the army that is heading home should not be intercepted, because everyone is like an arrow and can fight regardless of everything.

"So from this point of view, you have fallen behind, and laid the groundwork for the subsequent defeat. It's not up to you to decide, though. The imperial court sent you to chase and suppress the Tatar people, and you can't go if you don't want to! But the second failure, you can completely avoid it! ”

"Please teach Master Lu!" Li Kaigu asked humbly.

Sun Tzu said: Knowing each other and knowing oneself will not be defeated in a hundred battles; Knowing oneself without knowing the other, one wins and one loses; If you don't know who you are, you will lose every battle. You don't know the other or yourself, how can you be undefeated? ”

Li Kaigu looked dazed: "Master Lu, how do you say this?" Can you make that clear? ”

"The Khitan and the Yak are in Yingzhou, you think you know the roots. In fact, you don't know at all what the combat effectiveness of the Tatar people is. ”

Lu Xiaoxian carefully told Li Kaigu about how Zuo Rong trained the young and strong soldiers in the clan in the name of hunting.

"It's a good trick to hide from the world and the sea, and it actually keeps everyone in the dark." Li Kai was convinced, "What Master Lu taught me is that I really don't understand their combat effectiveness!" ”

"Not only do you not know the other side, but you also don't know much about your own situation!" Lu Xiaoxian said, "The army of the Great Zhou is different from the army of the Khitan, the Khitan army is mainly cavalry, but the army of the Great Zhou is mainly infantry. Of course, there was cavalry, but it was mainly fought with infantry. Infantry and cavalry work together, which requires close coordination, and the coordination ability of the commander is also relatively high. If you command the Khitan cavalry and command the army of the Great Zhou, you will definitely be chaotic! ”

Li Kaigu couldn't help but admit that what Lu Xiaoxian said was too correct, if he led a Khitan cavalry, he would definitely be able to defeat Zuorong.

"These are not the most important, the most important thing is the third failure, which is too deadly!" Lu Xiaoxian shook his head and sighed.

Li Kaigu didn't dare to come out, staring at Lu Xiaoxian tightly.

"The arrogant army will be defeated, and the underestimated enemy will lose. You are too arrogant and underestimated! Seeing that Li Kaigu seemed to be unconvinced, Lu Xiaoxian did not allow him to argue, and asked bluntly, "Do you know where the biggest weakness of the people is?" ”

"They bring their families with them, as well as a large number of cattle, sheep and livestock, these are all drags ......" Speaking of this, Li Kaigu's face changed and suddenly stopped, he understood why Lu Xiaoxian asked this sentence.

"If I were you, I would never go to a real battle with Zuo Rong. The families of the Yan people are all settled in Yanjin City, as long as you capture Yanjin City, Zuo Rong will not have a second way except to surrender. Even if you can't capture Yanjin City, as long as you surround it, Zuo Rong will have to come to help, won't the initiative be in your hands? ”

Li Kaigu listened, and couldn't help but feel gloomy in his heart: Lu Xiaoxian was right, he was indeed too confident, he thought that he could defeat Zuorong face-to-face with his strength, and he didn't want to attack Yanjin City at all. The impact of underestimating the enemy is enormous, and the resulting changes are quietly and little by little. When you come to your senses, victory is already in the hands of the other party and smiles at you. Attacking the enemy's strengths with his own shortcomings, he is really not unjustly defeated.

Seeing that Li Kaigu was a little depressed, Lu Xiaoxian diverted the topic: "What are you going to do next?" ”

Li Kaigu looked bitter: "After such a big defeat, I don't know if this life can be kept." If you can survive it, you can only think about it behind closed doors in the future! ”

"Don't be so pessimistic, your life is precious!" Lu Xiaoxian looked at Li Kaigu with a smile, "I came to you today to discuss something with you!" ”

"Lu Gongzi is polite, just tell me anything!"

"You're ready to prepare, you may have to go on the expedition in a few days!" Lu Xiaoxian said mysteriously.

"Expedition? What's the sign? Li Kaigu was confused by Lu Xiaoxian.

"Go deal with the Turks!" Lu Xiaoxian gently spit out a few words.

……

"How do you know that Your Majesty will definitely send me to the battle?" Di Renjie asked with squinted eyes.

Leaving from Li Kaigu, Lu Xiaoxian went directly to Di Mansion to see Di Renjie.

"Manchu Dynasty civil and military, you pinch your fingers, except for Di Ge Lao, how can there be a person who is qualified enough to take command of the expedition?" Lu Xiaoxian's eyes rolled, and he looked at Di Renjie with a smile, "If you don't believe it, the two of us can make a bet!" ”

"Don't fight!" Di Renjie refused without hesitation.

Bet with Lu Xiaoxian, how can there be a chance to win?

"Even if I go out on the expedition, what can I do?" Di Renjie asked Lu Xiaoxian quietly, "What do you want to do, just say it!" ”

Lu Xiaoxian ran all the way to Di Mansion without any attempt, just to tell Di Renjie about his guess, and he didn't believe Di Renjie when he killed him.

"This is a great opportunity to increase the prestige of the crown prince!" Lu Xiaoxian said with great interest.

"Tell me about it!" Di Renjie was a little moved.

Lu Xiaoxian shared his thoughts and thoughts.

Di Renjie thought for a long time, nodded and said, "I think it's feasible, so let's do it!" ”

Lu Xiaoxian smiled: "I have a good idea!" ”

Di Renjie gave him a blank look: "Say, what do you want me to do?" ”

"Or Di Ge Lao understands me!" Lu Xiaoxian said with a hippie smile, "I hope that when Elder Di Ge goes on the expedition, he can bring someone with him!" ”

……

Hearing the drums and thinking about good generals, but how can there be good generals in the court, Wu Zetian thought about it, and finally thought of Di Renjie.

Di Renjie is not young, and his health is not good, let him take command of the expedition, Wu Zetian is a little unbearable, but what can be done?

Di Renjie listened to Xuan enter the palace.

Looking at Wu Zetian, who was frowning, Di Renjie recalled what Lu Xiaoxian said to him yesterday, and couldn't help but sigh: He is like a god, and he has already become a spirit.

Since everything was as Lu Xiaoxian expected, Di Renjie certainly had to move forward according to the established plan.

He cleared his sip and replied to Wu Zetian: "Be loyal to the country, and after death, the minister is willing to go to war." Just ......"

"The elder has something to say, but it doesn't hurt to say it!" When facing Di Renjie, Wu Zetian's attitude has always been surprisingly good.

Di Renjie pleaded with Wu Zetian: "Your Majesty, in fact, with the crown prince as the marshal of Hebei Province to fight against the Turks, the Turks will definitely collapse without a fight. ”

"The prince is not familiar with military affairs, why is he handsome?" Wu Zetian raised his eyelids and asked.

"Your Majesty," Di Renjie said half a step forward, "the crown prince is only nominally handsome, but that alone is enough. ”

"The prince fruit has such a miraculous effect?" Wu Zetian asked in disbelief.

"Your Majesty, but believe the minister's words."

Seeing that Di Renjie was so persistent, Wu Zetian nodded and said: "The prince is no longer confused, it's time for him to go out to exercise, then according to the words of the elder Ge, let him lead the marshal of Hebei Province to fight the Turks!" ”

Seeing that Wu Zetian agreed, Di Renjie was pleasantly surprised and said: "The prince only takes the position of marshal, and he doesn't need to recruit in person." He was willing to be the deputy marshal and lead the troops to fight the Turks. ”

Wu Zetian shouted "good" and said: "I will take Ge Lao as the deputy marshal of the Hebei Road march, and I know the marshal." In addition, I transferred another 30,000 horses from Yangzhou and Yuzhou to return to Qing for moderation. ”

"Your Majesty, can you also transfer Li Kaigu to the command of the minister?"

Now that Lu Xiaoxian has made himself achieve his wish, Di Renjie will of course have to honor the conditions he promised Lu Xiaoxian.

"Li Kaigu?" Wu Zetian frowned and said, "In the battle of Tianmen Ridge, he lost his troops and made the court lose face, and I haven't had time to condemn him, how can I let him go on the expedition?" ”

"The battle of Tianmen Ridge was defeated, but Li Kaigu is indeed a fierce general! Why didn't Your Majesty give him a chance to make meritorious contributions? ”

Di Renjie said everything about this, and Wu Zetian couldn't refute it anymore, so he had to agree.

Looking at Di Renjie, whose beard was white, Wu Zetian's tone suddenly became a little calm: "Over the years, the elder has followed me and made you suffer!" ”

Di Renjie rarely saw Wu Zetian's mood so low, and he couldn't help but be a little surprised.

Wu Zetian sighed and said: "It stands to reason that we should be old at this age, but there are some things that have to be brought forward by us old guys." ”

Your Majesty can let the prince do it!

Although Di Renjie thought so in his heart, he didn't say it after all.

……

Di Renjie led an army of 100,000 to crusade, killed more than 10,000 men and women in Zhao, Ding and other prefectures in the plundered by the slugging pit, and retreated from Wuhui Dao to the north. During the retreat of the Turks, they plundered the people and robbed countless assets, and Di Renjie could not catch up.

After Di Renjie left Luoyang, Lu Xiaoxian continued to live his comfortable life, and the only fly in the ointment was Li Bao'er's harassment of him.

Although Li Bao'er was not engaged to Wu Yanxiu, she did not evade Wu Zetian's arrangement after all, and married her to Wu Chongxun. Although they have not officially married, this is an ironclad fact, and no one can change it.

Perhaps in order to express dissatisfaction, Li Bao'er, who was already engaged to Wu Chongxun, ran to Lu Xiaoxian's house twice in three days. Lu Xiaoxian was so annoyed that he could only avoid her.

As a result, his daily life became eating, sleeping, and hiding from his luggage.

Fortunately, such days did not last long, and two months later, Li Bao'er officially married into the Liang Wangfu and became Wu Chongxun's wife and Wu Sansi's daughter-in-law.

Without Li Bao'er's harassment, Lu Xiaoxian could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

But at this moment, the news of bad news came back to Luoyang: Di Renjie, who was fighting abroad, fell ill from hard work, and he was not lightly ill.

Hearing the news, Wu Zetian was shocked, and hurriedly ordered to send Yulin to pick up Di Renjie and take him back to Luoyang. After Di Renjie came back, Wu Zetian personally visited the palace and ordered the best imperial doctor in the palace to do his best to heal him.

……

Lu Xiaoxian followed Di Guangyuan into the bedroom, and when he saw Di Renjie on the sickbed, Lu Xiaoxian was taken aback: Di Renjie had completely changed his appearance.

Shake off the original slightly obese figure, but now the skin and flesh are loose, the face is wrinkled, and the whole person looks lifeless. Only his gaze, when he saw Lu Xiaoxian coming in, still had the shadow of his previous wisdom.