Just when Li Shiji and others were discussing how to eliminate Xue Yantuo's 200,000 living forces, Li Shimin, who was far away in Chang'an, was also arranging his personal expedition step by step.

In the Liangyi Palace, Li Shimin specially summoned Yang Shidao, the Zhongshu Ling, Ma Zhou, and Zhu Suiliang, a scholar of the Chongjiao Palace, today.

Li Shimin said to the three of them with a sad face: "Chengqian is trapped in Changze City, and I also want to drive the expedition in person, when this time of life and death, there are only a few ministers who can stay in Chang'an City to make the country stable." ”

Yang Shidao was taken aback when he heard this, and hurriedly got up and said: "Your Majesty's words are serious, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will definitely be able to turn the danger into a disaster." Xue Yantuo is just a foreign barbarian who does not know the power of heaven, His Majesty personally conquered the banner and opened the victory, pacified the north and south of the desert at hand, and the ministers swore allegiance to His Majesty, loyal to the prince, and kept the peace of the Tang Dynasty, and never dared to have two hearts. ”

Ma Zhou and Zhu Suiliang also saluted and swore: "The ministers swear allegiance to Your Majesty, loyalty to the prince, and the peace of the Tang Dynasty, and never dare to have two hearts." ”

Since Li Shimin has the intention of entrusting the orphan, as a courtier, he must show his loyalty, otherwise Li Shimin will be in trouble if he thinks too much.

Hearing this, Li Shimin got up very satisfied, helped the three of them up one by one, and encouraged them: "I entrusted Chang'an to you because I was assured of your ability and loyalty, and you just need to work hard." ”

"Your Ministers obey!" The three of them said solemnly again.

Li Shimin nodded when he heard this: "Okay! Jing You and King Bin will go back to the ministry first! ”

Yang Shidao and Ma Tuesday immediately saluted and retired without saying a word, and Zhu Suiliang saw them leaving, and looked at Li Shimin without speaking.

Li Shimin didn't say anything, first took Zhu Suiliang's hand and patted it lightly twice and asked, "What does Suiliang think of Chengqian?"

Zhu Suiliang was shocked when he heard this, but he said directly: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is eloquent and strategic, but he will be trapped in Changze because he is unwell and is trapped by traitors for a while......"

Li Shimin waved his hand to signal him to stop when he heard this, and then said with infinite emotion: "Okay! All right! I also think so, but I and the crown prince are not in Chang'an, so I am afraid that there will be traitors in the court to cause chaos. ”

Zhu Suiliang's expression was solemn when he heard this, and his eyes shot with essence, it was obvious that if someone dared to make trouble, he would not leave his hand.

Li Shimin looked at Zhu Suiliang's expression in his eyes and nodded secretly, and said solemnly: "I give you the sword of the Son of Heaven, I and Cheng Qian are not in Chang'an, if someone plots against him, you can make Cheng Zhijie behead him." ”

When Zhu Suiliang heard that Li Shimin really regarded him as a confidant, tears of excitement came out, he shook his body, took two steps back, made a big salute to Li Shimin, looked solemn, and said to Li Shimin in a trembling voice: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, as long as the minister has a mouthful, he will never let the traitor succeed." ”

Li Shimin took a sword from behind and handed it to him, Zhu Suiliang took it with both hands and made a big gift to Li Shimin again, and saw Li Shimin waving at him before taking a few steps back and turning out.

Watching Zhu Suiliang walk out, Li Shimin sat back behind the bookcase a little tired and began to deal with official business.

The people left behind have decided, and they have to think about who to take away.

After a while, the inner attendant entered the palace to report that Li Jing, the Duke of Weiguo, had come to see him.

Li Shimin put down the pen in his hand, moved his wrist and said, "Announce him to enter the hall!" ”

After a while, Li Jing, who had a fluttering white beard, lowered his head and walked up to the hall with small steps, Li Shimin hurriedly raised his hand and said, "The pharmacist doesn't have to go to the palace. ”

Li Jing had already approached the hall and bowed to Li Shimin and said, "The old minister sees Your Majesty!" ”

Li Shimin said with a wry smile on his face: "The pharmacist quickly flattens down and gives him a seat." ”

Li Jing saluted again before sitting down on the brocade pier on the side.

Li Shimin looked at Li Jing and said, "I am relieved to see that your body is quite tough." ”

Li Jing hurriedly asked: "Your Majesty Xie is worried, the old minister has been very interesting with a group of students in the Military and Political Academy recently, and his body can eat and sleep is not as good as it was back then!" As he spoke, he stretched out his arms and legs to show that he was in good health.

Li Shimin looked at Li Jing with such an emotional expression, but he didn't answer his words.

Li Jing showed it twice, then looked at Li Shimin and changed the topic and said: "The old minister heard that His Majesty is going to conquer Xue Yantuo in person."

Li Shimin nodded helplessly and said, "Yes!" Cheng Qian was trapped in Changze by Xue Yantuo, and I, who was an old man, could I give him a head."

Hearing this, Li Jing hurriedly got up and walked to the hall and bowed, and said passionately: "Since Your Majesty has personally conquered Xue Yantuo, the old minister is also willing to go with Your Majesty, even if you can't be a forward general, you can analyze a thing or two for Your Majesty in case of trouble, please allow Your Majesty!"

said solemnly bowed and never got up again.

Li Shimin has been looking at him since Li Jing entered the hall, and at this time, seeing Li Jing's two eyes staring at Li Jing, he slowly got up and walked in front of Li Jing with a solemn expression, and finally saw Li Jingshi maintain a posture of bending down and saluting, sighed, and helped Li Jing with both hands and said: "You have made great achievements for the Tang Dynasty, and now you are too old, how can I bear to let you suffer from wind and frost again."

Cheng Qian asked you to come out to preside over the Tang Military and Political Academy, this year there has been recruited students, you can take care of him in Chang'an! ”

Li Jing breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, and said movingly: "Your Majesty Xie is sympathetic to the old minister, Your Majesty can rest assured that the old minister will run the Military and Political Academy well!" ”

And when he had said that, he bowed and went out.

Li Shimin watched Li Jing walk out of the main hall and breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, looked at the closed door of the hall and muttered: I have done this as a matter of benevolence and righteousness, I hope you don't let me down.

It turned out that the words just now decided Li Jing's life and death, and Li Shimin wanted to personally conquer Li Chengqian, and he was not in Chang'an, so he was not worried about Li Jing, so he specially summoned Li Jing to meet him.

If Li Jing didn't deal with it properly, he would be taken by Li Shimin to conquer Xue Yantuo in the wind and snow, or ......

Li Shimin let go of Li Jing, and he himself breathed a sigh of relief, it was not his wish to kill the heroes, as long as Li Jing did not oppose him, of course he was willing to leave a good story of the monarch and the minister.

Li Shimin was thinking about the outer hall and the inner attendant suddenly reported: "His Royal Highness King Wu asks to see." ”

Li Shimin was stunned when he heard this, he didn't summon him today, why did Li Ke suddenly come to see him, is there something big

Hurriedly passed him in.

There was a brisk sound of boots, and the heroic Li Ke walked into the Liangyi Palace, Li Shimin looked at Li Ke, who was acting heroically and fruitfully, and felt in a trance, as if he saw himself when he looked down on him.

Secret Dao: If Ke'er is the crown prince, he will never be besieged by Xue Yantuo.

"Son-in-law, see father."

Li Shimin's mind was pulled back by Li Ke, and when he saw Li Ke's etiquette, he liked it more and more, and said with a smile on his face: "Ke'er, let's be even!" ”

"Thank you, Father!"

"You want to go out with me, if you don't prepare well, why do you come to see me again," Li Shimin said in a gentle reproach.

"Playing the father, the son received the flying pigeon transmission from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in the East Palace today, because the matter is very important, I hurriedly asked someone to translate it and send it to my father in person." Li Ke said, took out a few pieces of paper, and presented them with both hands.

As soon as Li Shimin heard that Li Chengqian's flying pigeon was passing the book, Huo Di got up and held the bookcase with one hand, stretched out his fingers with the other, leaned out half of his body through the bookcase, and said, "Hurry up and get it!" Fast! ”

Seeing this, the chamberlain hurriedly took it from Li Ke and handed it over to Li Shimin.

Li Shimin didn't sit down after receiving the letter, pinched the letter with both hands, and began to look at it while standing.

Li Shimin quickly read the letter, and then laughed and said, "Cheng Qian really didn't disappoint me. ”

It turned out that in this letter, Li Chengqian told Li Shimin all his strategies on how to deal with Xue Yantuo in the north, which was also promised to Li Shimin when Li Chengqian left Chang'an City that day.

When he started the war with Xue Yantuo, he informed Li Shimin to send troops in advance with a flying pigeon.

It's just that this letter was sent by Li Chengqian when he arrived in Lingzhou, so Li Shimin's participation in the subsequent destruction of Xue Yantuo was limited, and the battle to destroy Xue Yantuo was still dominated by Li Chengqian.

However, at this time, Li Shimin was very happy to know that Li Chengqian was not surrounded, and he didn't care about this matter for a while.

Li Shimin sat down and read Li Chengqian's letter several times, thinking that the father and son joined forces to destroy Xue Yantuo in one fell swoop must be a good story in history, and the more he thought about it, the more excited he became.

After a while, he looked up and saw Li Ke still standing in the main hall, so he waved his hand at him and said, "Okay, I have nothing to do here, you go back first to prepare for the expedition!" Then he looked down at the letter.

Li Ke smiled helplessly when he saw this, then his eyes flashed, and he said in a worried tone: "Erchen heard that the ninth brother is sick, and Erchen wants to go and see him." ”

Li Shimin lowered his head when he heard this, a fine light shot out of his eyes, and he didn't look up, but just said "um" and agreed.

Li Ke cautiously exited the main hall.

Li Shimin raised his head and looked at the door of the main hall with an expressionless face, and asked calmly: "How is King Jin's illness cured?"

An attendant walked out and knelt in the center of the main hall, and said in a calm voice: "Back to Your Majesty, several imperial doctors have shown it, and His Royal Highness the King of Jin has a peaceful pulse and no serious illness." ”

There is no serious illness, Li Shimin knows that this is a euphemism for feigning illness.

Because of the cold snort, he said: "Spread my will, and the King of Jin will go with me to fight against Xue Yantuo." With this will, there were many ministers who were not on good terms with Li Chengqian, and they were recruited by the imperial court to go on the expedition with them.