Gaochang is a key point of transportation, guarding the gateway of the Silk Road between the Han and Han Dynasty. Li Shimin hoped to control the Silk Road by passing through the Western Regions, and subjugating the Western Regions including the Western Turks, which Gaochang could not bypass. However, since the time of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, Gaochang has enjoyed the national honor so far, and the Ju family has been operating Gaochang for more than 500 years, which is longer than the Central Plains Dynasty, and unlike other races, Gaochang is a Han country.

Whether it is to attack or occupy, it will actually damage the face of the Heavenly Empire. This is also the tradition of all dynasties, the Central Plains is a big country, not to raise an unknown teacher, an unrighteous campaign, pay attention to the teacher is famous, otherwise what is the difference with the barbarians?

Although in Li Shimin's heart, he doesn't mind being a barbarian, there are not so many constraints in doing so. However, if he wants to be a Ming Jun, he has to think about these. Now there is a way not to lose face, so why not?

Moreover, this incident opened a new door for Li Shimin and made him suddenly enlightened. Why didn't you think of it before, fake human hands?

In the land of Gaochang, there is no need to use the army at all. It only needs to support some horse bandits to harass them, and it will inevitably succumb. Instead of begging him, let him beg me, such a simple thing, why didn't I think of it before?

Li Shimin figured out this section, and his mood swept away the haze of the past few days, and Huo Ran became cheerful.

"Li Mu! You are truly my blessed general! ”

Li Mu immediately put on a blank look and said, "Your Majesty, didn't the minister do anything?" The minister also asked His Majesty for guilt, and the minister not only concealed it from His Majesty, but also took revenge on the envoy for his personal abolition of the public——"

"That's all trifle!" Li Shimin glanced at Li Mu and pierced mercilessly: "Don't you just want me to say it in person, forgive you for your innocence?" What kind of cleverness, in this matter, although you did something wrong, you did a good thing by mistake, and it was a thing that greatly benefited my Datang. The merits and demerits are offset, and I will not punish you. ”

Li Mu hurriedly climbed down the pole: "Then can you appreciate it?" ”

Li Shimin frowned and said: "Don't get an inch, I won't punish you, you dare to ask for a reward?" ”

Li Mu said with a smiling face: "Your Majesty, the minister is not asking for a reward for himself. Let's analyze this matter, you see, the minister is naturally like His Majesty said, the merits and demerits are offset, and the minister doesn't say anything, but admits it. Your Majesty can't turn a blind eye to the merits of others. ”

"Someone else? Who? ”

"For example, you say my brother-in-law Li Siwen, right, if he hadn't sent back the news in time, wouldn't Your Majesty still be worried now? It can be said that the prime minister of the three provinces and six ministries did not eliminate the troubles for His Majesty, and a letter from my righteous brother solved it for His Majesty. ”

Li Shimin heard what it meant, and smiled helplessly: "You can be far-fetched, then Li Siwen is to deliver the news to you, and he didn't deliver the news to me, I want to reward you, but if you have merits and demerits, I will not reward you, what does it have to do with him?" It doesn't make sense that you put the credit on him. ”

"How can it not make sense?" Li Mu hurriedly said: "The news was delivered by him, right?" That's always true. Your Majesty can't be unreasonable, how can the minister's brother-in-law deliver news to Your Majesty? He is a small lieutenant, he did not directly write to His Majesty, if it is through normal channels, first to the Ministry of Officials, and then under the door of the middle book, I am afraid that when His Majesty sees it, it will be half a month later, what use can it be? This is an expedient measure, the minister's righteous brother must have thought that the minister is loyal to His Majesty, and after seeing the news, he will immediately inform His Majesty, and the minister has also done so, it can be seen from this incident that the minister's righteous brother Li Siwen is a resourceful, and loyal at the same time, thinking about His Majesty's young talent, is a rare handsome man in my Tang Dynasty, Your Majesty is a person who loves talents, how can you not reward it? ”

Li Shimin looked at Li Mu who was stunned, and was shocked, he hadn't seen Li Siwen before, to put it mildly, he was a little better than the young master who was upside down, not much. How did he get into his mouth and become a "rare" handsome man - this kid's ability to quibble is good again!

"If Your Majesty doesn't reward it, it will be unfair!" Li Muqi snorted: "If Your Majesty is unfair, the minister thinks that people of insight in the world will not be proud of assisting Your Majesty, and would rather return to the mountains and forests than serve the lord of mediocrity!" ”

Li Shimin laughed angrily and said, "Heh! If I don't reward Li Siwen, I will be mediocre? ”

Li Mu avoided Li Shimin's eyes weakly, and muttered in a low voice: "It's okay to go anywhere." ”

"Good boy!" Li Shimin said helplessly: "This Manchu Dynasty is civil and military, the emperor's relatives and relatives, so you dare to talk about mediocrity...... Well, in any case, whether you have a heart or not, you have done a great thing for me. Then I will give you a face and reward Li Siwen, what do you think is a good reward? ”

Li Mu was excited, and just as he was about to ask for it, he heard Li Shimin add another sentence and said: "Official, you can't be promoted, money, you can't be rewarded, and you can't be promoted, besides, you want to do something else." ”

"I ......" Li Mu almost choked himself to death in one breath.

Li Mu really wants to ask, apart from officials, money, and titles, what else is there? The dignified emperor, who did you learn from such hypocrisy! You might as well say that Lao Tzu is a buckle, and Lao Tzu will not be rewarded!

"Hmm......" Li Mu pursed his lips, Li Shimin looked at him with a smile, as if he had done something big. From Li Mu's point of view, his gloating appearance was happier than learning that Ju Wentai's son had died just now.

"Your Majesty is wise, but the minister can't match it...... Since Your Majesty said so, the minister will ask for a reward for his righteous brother who can return to Chang'an Province, and hope that His Majesty will approve it. ”

"Yes, I did!"

Because Li Siwen did not know anyone, he brought Li Yourong back to Chang'an, and Li Shimin drove him to Dingxiang, and his intention was clear, and he could not return to the court unless he was called. This is just an angry sentence, and now Li Shimin has already lost his anger, and it is not a matter at all. Li Mu asked for the ban to be lifted, and he got off the donkey down the slope and agreed.

"I've promised him to save his relatives twice a year, is that enough?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Li Mu knows the truth of accepting it when he sees it, and twice is indeed enough. Dingxiang is far away from Chang'an, if it is four or five times a year, it is almost all on the road, Li Siwen is still Dingxiang's Zhichong captain, with the responsibility of guarding the land, twice a year is enough.

"And ......"

"And?" Li Shimin lowered his face and said, "Li Mu, you kid don't have to get an inch, I have already given you face, what else do you want?" ”

"Your Majesty misunderstood, this time the minister is for Your Majesty, and I want to give Your Majesty an idea."

Li Shimin frowned and said: "Li Mu, you are still young, watch more and learn more, family and country affairs, you don't get involved in it first, there will be opportunities in the future." ”

"Please let your majesty finish speaking." Li Muyang begged: "Otherwise, it will be difficult for the minister to go home and explain?" ”

"Home?" Li Shimin suddenly said, "You are for your father-in-law, right?" Li Shimin glanced at Li Mu, saw that his face was full of anxiety, and his heart was full of play, and he said with a cold face: "If you don't say it, I still forgot!" I have heard about Zhangjiazhai for a long time. Tossing and turning around the right side of Long, doing some smuggling business, and making a living from black and black! The sin is monstrous, and there is more than innocent death! I'm going to kill him and I'm going to do it quickly! ”

Suddenly, as if he had just thought of it, Li Shimin was surprised: "Huh? Zhangjiazhai is not far from Dingxiang, just to give your righteous brother a chance to make meritorious contributions, I will return to the palace and issue an order, let Li Siwen light up a house of soldiers and horses, exterminate Zhangjiazhai within 15 days, and return the people of the border city to peace! ”

"Your Majesty......" Li Mu didn't think about it, and immediately knelt down. He knew very well why Li Shimin said this. If it wasn't on purpose, how could he deliberately point out Li Siwen and Zhang Jiazhai and let his brother-in-law kill his father-in-law? Isn't this just a clear embarrassment, so he almost wrote "beg me" on his face?

There is no way, people have to bow their heads under the eaves, so they will act in this scene to satisfy the strange habits of this unserious emperor!

Li Mu hugged Li Shimin's thighs tightly, crying desolately, which can be described as sad for those who hear it, and tears for those who hear it.

"Your Majesty, the minister earnestly begs Your Majesty to forgive the old and young of Zhangjiazhai! Your Majesty doesn't know that the people of Zhangjiazhai are all a group of poor people! Thinking about more than 20 years ago, the world was in turmoil, the people of Lingzhou were displaced, and Zhang Xun, the minister's father-in-law, couldn't bear the tragic death of the people in the war, so he moved west with a group of villagers, wanting to escape from the war. He didn't want to take refuge in the Turks, and he hated the former Sui Dynasty and the cholera world, and refused to belong to the Sui Dynasty and wanted to become a princess. ”

"Your Majesty also knows that Zhangjiazhai makes a living from smuggling. said it was a horse bandit, but it was more like a businessman. It can't be said that there is no such thing as black eating black, but compared with the other two groups of horse bandits, it is definitely rare, and when they are forced to be helpless, they will definitely not move this thought. Their opponents are not good people, they are all vicious people! ”

"Among the three horse bandits, only Zhangjiazhai is men, women and children. It's not so much a horse bandit as a gang of refugees! Your Majesty has the virtue of a good life, and I beg Your Majesty to give him a chance to recruit him! The minister is willing to guarantee for the old man, for the Zhangjiazhai as a guarantee, thousands of people in the village, all of them are looking forward to returning to the Tang Dynasty, please give Your Majesty a chance, let them, the people of the Central Plains, return to the arms of my Tang Dynasty, Your Majesty's benevolence and righteousness will be recorded in history and spread for thousands of years! ”

When the sensation reached the excitement, Li Mu actually shed tears, and the tears drew two tear stains on his face, which really looked like that!

Li Shimin was also moved, he didn't take this matter seriously. The reason why they didn't move them was not because they couldn't move, but because these horse bandits couldn't become a big climate, and the army had just triumphed, so they didn't work hard to clean up.

Li Mu's intercession for his father-in-law, in Li Shimin's view, is also an act of filial piety, of course, the most important thing is the last sentence.

Recorded in history and passed down for thousands of years.

A group of horse bandits who can die but not die can have such an effect, which can be regarded as somewhat useful.