Although Tongguan is a Xiongguan pass in the sea, since the Tang Dynasty, the function and significance of this pass in real military defense have been greatly reduced.

If it were not for the Tang Dynasty of the Wu Zhou Dynasty during the Heavenly Grant period, the Empress Dowager was afraid that the Guanxi would be disturbed and affect the situation of the Shendu, and chose a new site to rebuild the Tongguan City.

After the Shendu Revolution, the existence of Tongguan had a new meaning, that is, the geographical dividing line between the imperial court and Daxingtai of Shaanxi Province. Although King Yong's elder brother Li Shouli, King Lu, once served as the assassin of Shaanzhou east of Tongguan, Xingtai did not take advantage of this to infiltrate the east of Tongguan in a big way.

However, last year, the imperial court took advantage of the use of troops to the east of the river, and built a town water city in Puzhou, on the other side of Tongguan, to gather people from nearby Yuzhou, Huazhou, Tongzhou and other states to help the military of Hedong. Of course, there is another meaning, that is, it is used to guard against the eastward invasion of Shaanxi Provincial forces, so that Tongguan is not a danger for the east and west.

But no matter how good the city defense strategy is, it is first necessary to ensure that it has sufficient execution, otherwise even the defense is useless.

A large number of Guanxi people, even including the veterans of the former Western Army, followed this recruitment into Puzhou, and at least two or three thousand soldiers had deep or shallow ties with Xingtai.

In the face of such a situation, the imperial court was not sure whether the soldiers recruited by Puzhou could form a constraint on Xingtai, and the situation in Hedong was still grim at that time, and it was too late to send troops from other states to Puzhou, so this stronghold across the river was not officially operated in the end.

Of course, if the Hedong military calms down, the imperial court regains this idea, and with time and profound management, it may really be able to manage Puzhou into a front-line town in the military confrontation with Xingtai. However, it is clear that this cannot be used to pose an effective threat to King Yong's eastward movement at this time.

Therefore, after several days of discussions, the DPRK and China decided to deal with the crisis through negotiations and representations. More than a dozen courtiers led by Prime Minister Li Sixun galloped west in a hurry and arrived at Tongguan, hoping to successfully dissuade King Yong and his western army here.

When Li Sixun and others came to Tongguan, King Yong's troops had just entered the territory of Huazhou, but the defenders of Tongguan were also part of the Western Army, so the guard general Li Zhan temporarily put them into Guancheng to settle down, waiting for the arrival of His Royal Highness King Yong.

The time that I waited for was not without suffering for Li Sixun and other Shendu visitors, but at the same time, it was also a little reassuring. The road between the two capitals is smooth, and King Yong has been in charge of the military for a long time, of course, he understands the truth of the speed of the soldiers, but now it is still an orderly march, it can be seen that King Yong has not really made the decision to intervene in court affairs by force, although the atmosphere is tense, but there is still room for redemption.

With such a complicated and apprehensive mood, Li Sixun and the others waited in Tongguan City for a few more days. During this time, their movements were not much restricted, and they could even wander around the perimeter of the gate to observe, and the guards still respected their identity.

This kind of treatment also made Li Sixun and others feel a lot of emotion. In recent years, the contradiction between the imperial court and Xingtai has become more and more acute, and the impression of Xingtai in the hearts of the courtiers is also quite bad, and it is arrogant, domineering and other negative evaluations.

But in fact, to be honest, on the whole, there are not many courtiers who really feel the dominance of the stage. The reason for such a negative impression is that the existence of Xingtai itself is an abnormal hegemonic institution, which is not conducive to the concentration of central power. One is that the nobles and clan portals who migrated from Kansai to the Shendu have spared no effort to publicize all kinds of rebellious deeds of Xingtai through the harsh treatment they have suffered in Guanzhong.

The latter, in particular, is the main force of the theory of the Taiwan threat, and even once said conclusively that there must be a war between the East and the West.

"Looking at this customs and personnel, from small to large, it can be seen that Shaanxi Province is not an illegal hometown, and His Royal Highness King Yongwang is not a person who is good at dictating and isolated."

Li Sixun said with emotion, either he really felt it, or he wanted to comfort himself.

When the courtiers around him heard this, others didn't have time to respond, and Li Qiao, who was also an envoy, couldn't help laughing: "In the old days, His Royal Highness King Yongwang was in the capital, who didn't look at him as a guest in the sky and was proud to sit and talk about joy with His Royal Highness King Yong?" Only after taking charge of Shaanxi, it is necessary to deter the public with authority, and no longer specialize in vulgar affairs, so that it is gradually slandered by evil currents, which is not an upright theory, and it is just a matter of laughter for the wise and wise. ”

Li Qiao and King Yong have a good relationship, King Yong has not yet been valued by the times, and they are already friends of poetry and literature. It's just that during the sensitive period of the Shendu Revolution, he was estranged from King Yong because of his uncle Zhang Xi. Later, Zhang Xi was demoted, and Li Qiao was also affected, and he was appointed to Huainan, and he was able to return to the DPRK with Zhang Xi's visit to the prime minister again.

This time, King Yong traveled eastward, and the imperial court meant that harmony was precious, so he also put a lot of thought into choosing the messenger. Li Sixun is not only the elder of the other branches of the Zong family, but also the prime minister of the dynasty, and he did not have any disputes with King Yong in the past, so he led this matter, and Li Qiao also planned this trip because of his old friendship with King Yong.

"Fang Jinchao's love is difficult, but only harmony is good. King Yong was already a minister of the country, and at this time, he should not be angry and alienated with indignity. I regret that I have had little contact with His Royal Highness King Yong, and when His Royal Highness enters the customs, I also ask Master Li to try his best to express the sincerity of the court and bridge the old good. ”

Hearing Li Qiao speak, Li Sixun hurriedly said to him again.

In the most popular years of King Yong's reign in Dugi, he was still hiding in Jiangnan in order to avoid the persecution of the Li Tang clan by the Wu Zhou Dynasty.

Now that he is in this big responsibility, it can be said that the safety of his family and country is in danger, so Li Sixun is also worried in his heart, not only worried that the failure to complete the task will cause a big fight between the two capitals, but also worried that King Yong will be arrogant and regard him as an object to vent his grievances in recent years.

Hearing Li Sixun say this, Li Qiao didn't dare to take it all over, but just waved his hand and said: "His Royal Highness King Yong's heroic choice, super vulgar flow, looking at the situation and seeing the situation, going straight to the root." Qiao and His Royal Highness may have an old relationship that can be briefly explained, or they may be fortunate enough to be seized, but they really dare not talk about nothingness and pretentiousness. His Royal Highness King Yong has a great amount of unyielding ambition, but he also knows the hidden atmosphere of the world. Be fair and respectful, only keep sincerity, and the rest do not have to be profound. ”

After Li Sixun heard this, his expression was somewhat unnatural, as if the court was indeed justified and demonic, and he needed to ask King Yong for advice on how to govern the country, and put the posture of the court very low. Regardless of whether this is the case or not, Li Sixun, as the prime minister of the current dynasty, still feels that these words are a bit harsh.

But no matter what their feelings were, they lived in Tongguan for a few days, and the grass and fields they saw were not optimistic.

Because of King Yong's eastward journey, the Tongguan Post Road has been completely blocked, but the personnel exchanges between the two capitals are close, and it is not only the road that Tongguan should be able to communicate things with.

There are still many small roads that can be passed between the plateaus and mountains south of Tongguan, but they are not as smooth and straight as the post road avenue. Of course, large-scale personnel and horses dispatch still have to follow Tongguan to enter and exit things, but some small groups of people can still follow these country roads to meander.

In ordinary times, the main task of the Tongguan customs defense soldiers is to patrol the police and clear these rural brigades. But now Tongguan Avenue has been blocked for military use, and civilian personnel can only pass on the small road, and the customs defense soldiers occasionally inspect it, but they no longer strictly prohibit related phenomena. Sometimes, they even take the initiative to hunt and kill the fierce beasts roaming between the mountains and fields, so that travelers can pass through this area more safely.

The reason why the Tongguan defenders did this is also very simple, because most of the travelers in these grasslands are from the Kanto to the Kansai, and they are obviously homeless, ragged and without long things.

During the few days that Li Sixun and others stayed in Tongguan, the number of people who flowed from the eastern part of the country to the western part of the Guanxi region in the vicinity of the city alone ranged from hundreds to nearly 1,000 in one day, and there were hundreds of people in the slightest.

This is still in the case that the Tongguan Post Road has been blocked, and the grass road is not only rugged and difficult, but also often infested with fierce beasts and bandits, which can be said to be full of danger. But even so, there is still no obstacle for the displaced people to cross the mountains and mountains to enter the Kansai region. In other words, even at the risk of their lives, they have to travel from east to west.

As the prime minister of the political affairs hall, of course, Li Sixun has also been exposed to the report that a large number of Togi households have lost to Kansai, but when he saw this scene with his own eyes, he was also touched by a great feeling.

These impoverished people know how to make trade-offs, and everything they do is nothing more than an instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm, and their legs and feet point to what they think is the way to make a living!

used to be in the court, or you can say it lightly, the small people are stupid and confused, easy to be restless. However, when such a picture of migration was clearly and vividly presented in front of him, even Li Sixun, the prime minister of the current dynasty, couldn't help but feel that it was a fact that the court was out of governance and compassion, and any quibbles seemed a little weak.

A few days later, the army of King Yong finally came to the front of Tongguan Pass, and Li Sixun and other courtiers went out to greet them with the soldiers guarding the pass.

"The last general will wait to meet His Royal Highness King Yong! Since the passing of the line, Tongguan grain and equipment have gathered, and the warehouses can support 50,000 troops for a month! The Xingtai Brigade followed this, and the Kanto countryside is all Pingchuan! The last general has been waiting for a long time to worship the king's religion, and now His Royal Highness has been tainted by this evil feeling, and he will hate and fight bravely and seek innocence! ”

Li Zhan and other guards saw Yongwangyi driving in, their faces were excited, and they fell to the ground and shouted in unison. However, when Li Sixun and the others, who were isolated from the battle, heard these words, their eyebrows naturally jumped frequently, and their hearts were very uncomfortable.

Their group was confined by the guards in front of the gate, and a group of soldiers with bows and bows around them were eyeing each other, no longer as kind and polite as before, and there was a solemn atmosphere that they would be killed on the spot at the slightest change.

The group waited here for another half an hour, and then Wang Qi slowly moved towards the front of the gate, and the armor soldiers around Li Sixun and the others were separated from the middle, and then a general wearing bright light armor and a heroic posture walked towards Li Sixun and the others under the embrace of the guards.

"Li Xianggong, what you are doing now is His Royal Highness King Yong!"

The accompanying courtiers knew that Li Sixun had never seen King Yong, so they hurriedly stepped forward and reminded him in a whisper.

Li Sixun nodded after hearing this, and his eyes wandered among the shadows of the armor light sword for a while, and then fell on the righteous King Yong.

Although he has not seen King Yong himself, he has also seen some paintings of the Danqing of the times, and has heard a lot of evaluation of the demeanor of King Yong, and now he has seen it with his own eyes, only to know that the style of the famous king copied by the pictures he watched in previous years is indeed less than one in ten.

Li Sixun himself is a Danqing holy hand, and his eyes are also accurate in watching people and scenery, although he only glanced at it, he has already felt that he is famous, and his thoughts turned in a hurry, and he had the impression that no one in his life could trace King Yong's appearance and bearing.

Of course, this is not the time to appreciate the demeanor of the characters for a long time, and when King Yong traveled a few zhang away, he led a group of courtiers to meet him, and said in a deep and respectful voice: "Li Sixun, the servant of the Yellow Gate, who is a lowly disciple, brings all the colleagues of the court, to welcome His Royal Highness King Yong!" ”

Li Tong paused when he walked to the outside of Zhangyu, stood with his sword, looked at Li Sixun and the others and bowed slightly, and said with a smile: "Xiao Wang's armor is in the way, and it is inconvenient to be polite, please forgive Li Xianggong and others." When he returned to the dynasty on this trip, he was deserved by the elders of the Lao clan and the talents of the dynasty. The dust in front of the pass is flying, and the rear army is coming one after another, which is not where the long talk is, and enters the customs city. ”

After saying this, he went straight to the gate of Guancheng, and Li Sixun and the others could only accompany him under the arrangement of King Yong's personal guards. After entering the city, the group waited outside the hall for half an hour before someone welcomed them into the hall.

After entering the city, Li Tong changed out of his armor, only wore his current clothes at the table, watched the courtiers bow before entering, nodded in response, and just said to Li Qiao: "Master Li, it's been a long time." In previous years, the eunuchs were ascetic, personnel troubles, and after returning to the dynasty this time, the palace set up a clear seat again, and talked about the old friendship. ”

"Qiao is also thirsty, nostalgia has become a disease, His Royal Highness is attached to me, how dare I be absent!"

Li Qiao hurriedly replied respectfully, ignoring the eyes handed by Li Sixun, looking at King Yong, who was becoming more and more mature and majestic in the hall, and his heart was also full of emotion.

"A few days ago, His Royal Highness made a treacherous plan in Xijing, and the court was also extremely shocked, and the resentment was just like His Highness's parallel to the masses in Taiwan, and he didn't expect the thief to be treacherous, so ......"

Seeing that Li Qiao was unwilling to come forward to persuade, Li Sixun could only say stubbornly.

However, before he could finish speaking, Li Tong had already raised his hand to interrupt and said: "After Li Xianggong and others left the capital, I think there is an inconvenience in blocking the message. The situation in Hedong regenerate, and he was ordered to appease Di Liang Gongxue in Hedong in Fenzhou Pavilion. ”

"Is that so?"

When Li Sixun and the others heard the news, their expressions all changed, although they also frequently communicated with the rear court after they traveled west, but they did not know this news, and they were naturally shocked when they learned the news. Regardless of whether Di Renjie's trip has a profound meaning, just at such a sensitive moment now, it is a big blow for the imperial court to lose another important minister.

What's more, they don't know whether Di Renjie's death is a natural cause, because this is uncertain, and they don't know whether they should continue to say many of the statements they originally prepared.

"Xiao Wang's trip is not alone. The horses followed each other, and the movement was solemn. Although he has admired Li Xianggong's reputation for a long time, he has no time to talk about friendship. The reason for gathering here today is that they know in their own hearts, and some things cannot be decided within the selfish intentions of two or three after all. Li Xianggong is famous, and I have admired it for a long time, but ......"

"Your Highness, wait! Since the humble post was ordered to come to greet him, he also bears the high expectations of the masses in the court, even if there is a dispute, he hopes to end it peacefully, and not force disputes outside the law of love! His Royal Highness is called Zhenguo, this honesty is well deserved, and the thieves on the side have evil plans, how can it shake the foundation of the Tang family's national plan! ”

Li Sixun didn't wait for King Yong to finish speaking, so he hurriedly said: "The thief is cheating and cheating, and it is really hateful. His Royal Highness is speaking strongly, and the court is also deeply moved, vowing not to condone the noisy thieves on the side. His Royal Highness has been in charge for a long time, his merits are noble, and he is admired both inside and outside, and it is appropriate to entrust him with great things. Because the DPRK and China have already discussed the need to use the Metropolitan Protectorate of Anbei to lead the northern conquest of all affairs, but this is the only reason why the territory of the Commander is vast and the affairs involved are heavy, so it is still necessary to coordinate and discuss the plan so that the plan can be comprehensive......"

After learning that King Yong was traveling eastward, the court naturally did not dare to imagine that it could be dissuaded by words alone, so it also discussed several plans to give King Yong greater authority, hoping to appease him a little.

Originally, these concessions should have been made gradually in the negotiations, but King Yong's sudden mention of Di Renjie's death made Li Sixun very confused, so he couldn't care about any more miscellaneous entanglements, and directly exposed the bottom line of the court, hoping to turn the topic to the issue of authority cession.

Hearing Li Sixun's blunt words, Li Tong sneered, looked at Li Sixun a few times before saying: "Since entering the incident, I have received the special grace of the clan and the reuse of the imperial court, and I feel this kindness, and I am not afraid of hardships and hardships, and I try my best to kill thieves, and I hope to use this ambition to defend the peace of the family and the country." Self-presentation is inevitably arrogant, how many people can surpass me when they work hard? ”

"His Royal Highness is strong and famous, and he is rarely able to do so in this life, so the court did not use it in a vulgar manner, and he added things to Shaanxi ......"

"Then I can't help but have another puzzle, since the merit is great, why is there no help in the times? In recent years, internal and external disturbances have been frequent, the country has not been governed, the border troubles are uneasy, and the Turkic tribes have died in the country, and they dare to disturb the northern capital and humiliate the famous king! The boy of the clan family, who has worked hard, why is he helpless at all? In vain to gain honor and exaggerate merit, is it because what I have done is not in line with the Tao, or there are still demonic feelings in the world, and I can not be determined by my hard work, can Li Xianggong answer me? ”

Li Tong raised his hand to pat the case, looked at Li Sixun and said in a deep voice.

"This, this ......"

Li Sixun's face changed after hearing this, and he didn't know how to respond.

"Hedong has gathered 100,000 armors, and it has not been able to achieve a turn! The Manchu Dynasty is famous all over the world, and the politics are carried out without mercy! Since the demon atmosphere was eliminated, the kid has become independent of the Kansai countryside, and the cold and summer years are over, and the incense of the imperial tomb is thinner than the common people's home! The ritual is not prosperous, and the national fortune is depressed, which is the fundamental drawback, so the righteousness is lost in conditioning, and the thieves are restless and chaotic! The building will fall, not one can make up for it! ”

Speaking of this, Li Tong stood up, looked at Li Sixun and said in a condensed voice: "The imperial court uses me, the size of the instrument is only a small end, and it is not a real priority at the moment. Xiao Wang is a body, as light as duckweed, east and west, north and south. This time, the line is only for the sake of the prosperity of the worship industry, and the temple is not empty, whoever dares to stop me, I will kill him! Li Xianggong's family elders, if you are willing to help me succeed, then you will be respectful and grateful, if you are mixed with evil feelings and righteousness, then the Tang family has me, I have a sword! ”

Li Sixun saw the murderous intent in King Yong's eyes, and his heart trembled for a while, and after a while, he hurriedly bowed without a crown: "The ritual is not prosperous, and the humanity is compassionate." His Royal Highness is striving for morality, how dare the minister be cowardly and not move forward! ”