Seeing the name of the clay on the fold, Li Shimin's memory was pulled back to ten years ago.

In the third year of martial arts, the world was initially decided, but there were still various anti-kings who had not been destroyed, and it could not be called stable. At that time, Li Shimin was not yet a general of Tiance, and he only thought about making contributions and sharing worries for his father and brother.

At that time, in the world, if you talk about the prosperity of the army, there is no one who comes out of the Eastern Turks. Jieli also succeeded to the throne that year, arrogant and domineering, and unstoppable. In order to smooth the great cause of pacifying the Central Plains, Li Yuan had no choice but to compromise and give a lot. However, it could not be satisfied, and the troops repeatedly committed crimes.

In order to contain the Eastern Turks, Li Yuan secretly sent envoys to contact the Western Turks, hoping that the Western Turks could send troops to make the Eastern Turks fearful. At that time, the Western Turks had been recuperating for many years, and the Great Khan Commander Ye Hu was also a male lord, and he wanted to avenge the expulsion of the Eastern Turks. Seeing the envoy of the Tang Dynasty, he gladly accepted the agreement of the joint forces to resist the Eastern Turks, and in order to show his sincerity, he sent his nephew Ashina Ni as an envoy to Chang'an.

In order to show respect, Li Yuan also issued an order to let Li Shimin receive the mud man.

The two met under such circumstances.

The same enemy, common purpose, and similar age make the two have a lot of topics to talk about. Ni Yu grew up in the Western Regions since he was a child, and most of the things he has seen have not been seen by Li Shimin. He told Li Shimin a lot of things about the Western Regions, camels, bearded girls, and mirages, all of which made Li Shimin breathtaking. In return, Li Shimin also took the mud to appreciate the scenery of Chang'an, the towering city walls, the mottled ancient temples, the customs, all kinds of food, especially the profundity of the Central Plains culture, which deeply impressed the Turkic boy and made him forget to return.

However, there is no feast in the world that will not be dispersed. A month and a half passed in the blink of an eye, and Ashina had to set off and return. He shouldered the responsibility of an envoy and had to go back to report on the progress of cooperation between the two countries.

Ashina Ni knew in his heart that the Western Turks were thousands of miles away from Chang'an. This time apart, maybe never get a chance to come back. And after a month and a half of getting along, Ni Yu also had a deep friendship with Li Shimin, so on the occasion of parting, he proposed to become brothers with Li Shimin.

Li Shimin was only twenty-two years old at the time, and the city government was still shallow. He has been with Ni Yu for a month and a half, and he also has great respect for his character, Ni Yu proposed to become brothers, and Li Shimin agreed without thinking about it. What's more, the situation of the Tang Dynasty at that time was very much in need of foreign aid from the Western Turks, even if it was for the sake of the Tang Dynasty, he did not refuse to agree.

The next day, the two became brothers in Turkic rituals. Li Shimin took off the jade pendant on his waist and gave it to Ni Yu as a token, and Ni Yu gave Li Shimin a Turkic strong bow. This strong bow, Li Shimin has always been with him, and later after the change of Xuanwumen, Li Shimin also used it to shoot his brother Li Jiancheng.

Later, Li Shimin ascended the throne as emperor. But he couldn't face this strong bow that shot his brother to death, so in the second year of Zhenguan, when sacrificing Li Jiancheng, he asked Gao Gonggong to secretly burn this bow.

After returning to the Western Turks, he tried his best to promote the reconciliation between the Western Turks and the Tang Dynasty. It is precisely because of the help of the Western Turks and the containment of the Eastern Turks that the Tang Dynasty was able to free up its hands, level the east of Shandong, go down to the south of the Yangtze River, and unify the Central Plains.

When Li Shimin ascended the throne as emperor, he sent a message to the Quartet, and the Western Turks also received the news. Ni Yu also sent a letter to congratulate Li Shimin on becoming the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. But Li Shimin did not reply to this letter. He is already the emperor, and he doesn't deny the righteous feelings of his youth, but he doesn't want to mention it.

And this brotherly love made Li Shimin's heart very painful. Anyway, he killed his own brother. A man who can kill even his own brothers, if he says that he cares about righteousness, will the people of the world believe it?

Li Shimin is a conceited person, since no one will believe it, so he simply won't mention it. Since then, he deliberately forgot about it, and then in order to prepare for revenge, Datang was busy, and Li Shimin couldn't wait to be a few people, and he didn't have time to think about it.

I didn't expect it, but today I received such news.

A generation of male rulers Ye Hu Khan died, and Ni was elected as the Great Khan. But Ni Yi refused to meet the son of Ye Hu Khan. avenged the Khan of Tongye Hu, but because of this, he was killed and fled to the Yanqi Kingdom.

When Li Shimin heard the news, his heart was very complicated.

Although he deliberately downplayed the relationship with the mud, in his heart, he actually cared. Because he has always believed that he is an emotional person. Killing one's own brother is a last resort. It's just that people in the world think he is cold-blooded, and he doesn't bother to explain.

Ni is his sworn brother, and he feels that he should care about it.

But when you think about it, what can you care about? Not to mention that the Tang Dynasty has just destroyed the Eastern Turks, and it urgently needs to recuperate and is unable to fight again. Even if you can, as the monarch of the Tang Dynasty, do you want to raise sword soldiers for the sake of a Turkic sworn brother?

It must be known that the soldiers and horses have not moved, and the grain and grass go first. Now that the treasury is empty, what can be used to raise food and grass?

Moreover, the Tang Dynasty is thousands of miles away from the Western Turks, even if you want to help, do you want the Tang Dynasty athletes to cross the desert and go to war? The Western Turks are not a small country, although their power is far away in the Western Regions, but there are no strong enemies in the vicinity for many years, but they are afraid that their forces are not under the Eastern Turks. Can you win the battle if you fight?

In case of losing, what will Datang do?

Many thoughts flashed, and Li Shimin had already made a decision. In any case, he will not stand up for this sworn brother.

After this decision was made, Li Shimin calmed down. He was thinking about the possible ripple effects of this incident.

In the Western Turks, Ni Yi has always been a "pro-Tang faction", and this new khan, after using Ni Yu to take revenge and consolidate his position, attacked him. His mind is most likely that he doesn't want to reconcile with Datang.

This is not an impossible thing, after the fall of the Eastern Turks, there are many Eastern Turkic tribes, unwilling to belong to the Tang Dynasty, and worried about the Tang Dynasty conquest, many went north to attach to Xue Yantuo, and some crossed the desert and surrendered to the Western Turks.

The Turks are nomadic peoples, and their rule is to conquer and be conquered. Although these tribes originally belonged to the Eastern Turks, they were annexed, and the Western Turks had no reason not to accept them, not to mention that a hundred years ago, all the Turks were originally one family.

Li Shimin could think that these attached tribes must have brought the news of the destruction of the Eastern Turks and the capture of Jieli in the past. One of the prerequisites for the reconciliation between the Western Turks and the Tang Dynasty is that they have a common enemy. Now this enemy has been solved by Datang, and the situation has reversed.

The Western Turks were driven out by the Eastern Turks, and it was impossible for them not to covet the pastures left behind by the Eastern Turks. In particular, the Hetao region, with its fertile pastures, was originally the residence of the king of the Turkic Khanate. Both sides previously declared themselves Turkic orthodoxy, but now that the Eastern Turks have been extinct and there is no one to fight for, the Western Turks are naturally orthodox.

In the name of this Orthodoxy, they will also return to the Loop.

The new khan's attack on the mud is likely to be a signal for the Eastern Crusade. First sweep away the internal "pro-Tang faction", and then vigorously march to the east. Thinking of the visit of Ju Wentai, the lord of Gaochang, Li Shimin was even more sure of his conjecture. The first stop of the Western Turkic Expedition was Gaochang. Gaochang is a small country with few people, and it is said that there are no more than 5,000 soldiers, how can it resist the rolling iron hooves of the Western Turkic cavalry?

In this way, the purpose of Ju Wentai's coming to Chang'an was clearly revealed, and he wanted to ask for help.

Li Shimin's eyes were once again on the fold, and doubts appeared in his eyes.

Since this Ju Wentai is here to ask for help, why did he let the prince come to Chang'an one step in advance? And it was kept secret and not reported, if it weren't for the coincidence, Wang Zhongyuan found out about it, I'm afraid that the day Ju Wentai arrived in Chang'an, he wouldn't know about it.

Ju Wentai is here to ask for help, so what is his son coming to Chang'an for?

Sightseeing?

Li Shimin didn't believe it.

Tapping his fingers lightly on the table, several possibilities popped up in Li Shimin's mind. Knocking out the options he felt were incorrect, and in the end there was one of the most probable possibilities.

Ju Wentai was afraid that I would not agree, so he asked his son to take the first step and dredge up the important ministers of the court to speak for them.

It must be so!

Li Shimin rubbed his swollen temples and fell into deep thought again.

The Eastern Turks were destroyed, and there were no strong enemies in the west and north of the Tang Dynasty, and it was just time to recuperate. Although it is now known that Xue Yantuo is eyeing him, Xue Yantuo has been enslaved by the Turks before, and there is no good horse and a good bow, and there are Turkic tribes integrated into it, and it will take some time for internal integration. Li Shimin concluded that within five years, Xue Yantuo would not be a major disaster. After five years, Datang recuperated, and if Xue Yantuo wanted to attack, he would have enough confidence to defeat him.

But the Turks are different, and the Western Turks have been operating in the Western Regions for decades. What kind of strength it is still unknown. If they call, it is not comparable to Xue Yantuo.

Just left an Eastern Turk, and came back a Western Turk. Datang still can't change the situation of being surrounded by strong enemies, let alone recuperate.

"If it comes, the battle will be fought."

Li Shimin muttered.

The situation has been analyzed clearly, but Gao Changguo, to save or not to save?

Li Shimin didn't make up his mind.

Now the lord of Gaochang still has the leisure to come to Chang'an to see him, which shows that the Western Turks have not yet been forced to a certain extent. If the Tang Dynasty sends troops to Gaochang at this time and faces the Western Turks, I am afraid that it will give people a handle. The Western Turks can use this as an excuse to directly wage war against the Tang Dynasty, which is right in the middle of it.

But if you don't care, you can't do it. Gaochang State is located in a key position, although the armor is not prosperous, but it is a key node of trade in the Western Regions. The merchants of the Tang Dynasty wanted to go to the Western Regions, and Gaochang was the last supply station before entering the desert. And the merchants of the Western Regions want to come to Datang, and after passing through the desert, they will run out of ammunition and food, and continue to replenish, and they can't do without Gaochang. Gaochang collects commercial taxes on both sides, and does business on both sides, making a lot of money.

If such a place is in the hands of the Western Turks. It is tantamount to blocking the road to the west of Datang, which is a great disadvantage to Datang.

How can you think of a way to get the best of both worlds?

Li Shimin only felt that his head was about to explode.

If it was left in the past, Li Shimin would definitely have sent someone to find the eldest grandson Wuji at this time. After he discussed with the eldest grandson Wuji, he passed on Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui. After that, it was Wang Qi, Wei Zheng and others.

But since the eldest grandson Wuji played a request to repair Long's right road, Li Shimin's words often flashed in Li Mu's mind, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it made sense.

The eldest grandson Wuji and himself are inextricably intertwined, and the eldest grandson and the Li family share weal and woe. But none of this can change the fact that the eldest grandson is the eldest grandson and the royal family is the royal family. No matter how loyal the eldest grandson Wuji is, he will also consider the interests of the eldest grandson clan first, after all, there is still a layer of separation.

With such a thought in his heart, Li Shimin did not trust his eldest grandson Wuji as much as before. At the same time, he can also understand why Empress Changsun has always advocated not to reuse relatives. Doing so is not only to maintain the royal family, but also to protect the eldest grandson's family in disguise. If the authority of the eldest grandson family is too great, he will cause trouble every day, and the eldest grandson family may not be able to save it.

After Li Shimin understood this truth, he secretly reflected on himself many times, and in such a major event, he was not as far-reaching as the queen thought. At the same time, he also secretly scolded Li Mu many times, and Li Mu's sentence seemed to be unintentional, which broke this layer of window paper. This is certainly a good thing, but for Li Shimin, it has made him lose someone who can be called a friend.

"In this world, who can I trust without any defense?"

Li Shimin muttered to himself, suddenly thinking of Li Mu, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but hook up a smile.

The eldest grandson Wuji can't be trusted, but Li Mu can still believe it. Perhaps, as he said, he will have a family in the future, and he will think about his own family. But he doesn't have it now, he doesn't even have a son, he's alone, and now he can be trusted.

And he also thought of the matter with Ni Yi back then, when Ni He came to Chang'an, Li Yuan asked him to receive Ni Yu, firstly, considering his identity, Ni Yu was the nephew of the Turkic Khan, and he was the king of Qin, and the prince received him to show his favor. Second, considering his age, he is the same age as Ni Xiao, and he will not have nothing to talk about.

Now that the prince of Gaochang has come to Chang'an, Li Shimin asked Li Mu to receive the mud man, which is to imitate the things of the past. It is rumored that the prince of Gao Chang is only in his twenties, and although Li Mu is only seventeen, he must not be left behind. The prince of Gaochang, the marquis of the Tang Dynasty, is not slow to treat him.

Most importantly, Li Shimin wanted to separate the prince of Gaochang from the civil and military forces of the Manchu dynasty. No matter what the final decision was, Li Shimin didn't want to see the situation that after the Manchu civil and military got bribes, they joined forces to force the palace.

The Son of Heaven must be dictatorial!

This idea was formed in my mind, and the more I thought about it, the more feasible it became. Li Shimin knocked on the table and said, "Someone! ”

Father-in-law Gao went to Chang'an County to deliver the decree, naturally there were others waiting, a eunuch entered the hall, bowed down and said, "What does Your Majesty command?" ”

"Go and call the Hou of Zhulu, I have something to explain to him."

"No!" The eunuch answered and withdrew.

As soon as the eunuch went out, Gonggong Gao came back: "Your Majesty, Wang Zhongyuan, the commander of Chang'an County, has already come, and the marquis outside the palace has decreed." ”

Li Shimin nodded and said, "Did the two Hu people also bring them?" ”

"Brought it, and outside the temple."

"Okay, let Wang Zhongyuan come in first, those two Hu people, I'll see you later."