Tonight's topic is relatively fresh, and before you know it, time has passed. Gonggong Zheng crept in and changed the beeswax twice, during which he kept giving the young man a look at him. Who would have thought that the young man was crazy today, and what he should have said and what he shouldn't say were all poured out of his mouth. Gonggong Zheng was worried about this person before, afraid that he would provoke Tianwei and cause himself to suffer from the pond fish. Later, when I saw that His Majesty the Emperor listened more and more, he knew that the young people were lucky, and the monarch and the ministers were in love this time. had no choice but to give up urging Li Yuan to go to rest early, and went out to the imperial kitchen to spread supper.

"This surnamed Cheng is so bold!" The few little eunuchs who followed Gonggong Zheng were all his disciples, and they were so tired that Cheng Mingzhen couldn't go to sleep, and they were very dissatisfied, and they just took a dozen steps away from the imperial study, and immediately began to talk in a low voice.

"That's it, if Boss Pei and Boss Xiao don't dare to say it, he actually says a lot of it! I don't look at my identity, but I'm just a general! Give some color and you're ready to open a dyeing shop! Another little eunuch scolded with dark eyes.

"Shut up!" Gonggong Zheng glared at everyone and scolded in a low voice. "Is that what you should say? Go back tonight, and each of you kneel for half an hour on the incense burner. Think about what is your duty. ”

After the lesson was over, Eunuch Zheng couldn't help but look back at the imperial study again. His Majesty the Emperor continues to ask questions about whether the common people can survive or not. General Xiao Cheng, who didn't know how thick the sky was, was still pointing fingers. Some words, even if they come out of the mouth of a speaker, are very excessive. However, Gonggong Zheng was very pleased that the emperor did not order General Xiao Cheng to be sent out. He was also a hard-working person back then, if he hadn't been desperate, Grandpa wouldn't have sold him to human traffickers. And in the hands of human traffickers, he becomes a commodity, and no life or dignity is his own. At a young age, he was cut off as a man's credential and sold into the dark deep palace. The only fortunate thing is that he was later given to the Tang Gong Li family. And the group of teenagers who entered the palace at the same time were either exhausted to death, or bullied to death by the old eunuchs, or made mistakes and were executed, almost all of them were spared.

If there were a few ministers like General Xiao Cheng who dared to tell the truth in the previous dynasty, maybe the lives of ordinary people would not have been so difficult. In that way, the fate of their own family will not be as bumpy as it was back then. Sighing softly, Gonggong Zheng took back his thoughts and hid them. As a lieutenant official, he has few opportunities to be in court politics. But deep down, I hope that there will be more upright ministers like Cheng Mingzhen, more and more, and the more the better.

When the supper came, Gonggong Zheng personally filled Li Yuan with his own hands and placed it next to the imperial case. "Buy one more for General Cheng too!" Although Cheng Mingzhen's share has been prepared as usual, the necessary process still has to be walked. Hearing Li Yuan's order, Gonggong Zheng bowed down to receive the order, held another copy in his own hand, and sent it to Cheng Mingzhen.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Cheng Mingzhen stood up again and took the supper with both hands.

"Let's eat, let's continue to talk about Hebei after supper!" Seeing that Cheng Mingzhen was a little flattered, Li Yuan smiled and ordered very kindly.

"Your Majesty, tomorrow will be a great dynasty!" Seeing that Li Yuan was still ready to stay up late, Gonggong Zheng hurriedly bowed his body and reminded him.

"Oh!" Li Yuan frowned, "What time is it, is it already midnight?" After asking, looking at the supper in front of him, he smiled dumbly, "Isn't it?" It's time for supper, of course it's midnight. Okay, I'll hurry up. General Cheng, let's talk while eating! ”

"Obey orders!" Cheng Mingzhen agreed, and cleaned up the supper in front of him with three clicks and two clicks.

Li Yuan is an immediate emperor, so he will not laugh at Cheng Mingzhen's rude movements. quickly added a few mouthfuls to his mouth, and waved his hand to signal Gonggong Zheng to remove the supper. Then he took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "I have written down what you just said." I'll discuss it with a few servants and slowly come up with a suitable charter. In short, in my Tang Dynasty, I am not allowed to have those dirty things in the previous dynasty again! ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Cheng Mingzhen immediately stood up and made a long bow to Li Yuan sincerely.

Li Yuanleng paused, sat up straight, and calmly accepted Cheng Mingzhen's thanks. Then he smiled and said in a low voice: "You are already the founding county prince, and it is really rare that you can not forget your roots." I intend to send you to Zhaozhou to appease the people who were previously under Dou Jiande's rule. Would you like to go and go for me? ”

"Sharing worries for Your Majesty is a matter within the minister's responsibility!" Cheng Mingzhen thought for a while, nodded and agreed, "But Your Majesty has already sent the King of Huai'an, Xue Guogong and Yun Guogong to appease, and the minister will go there to ......" (Note 1) "The previous arrangement was a bit too hasty!" Li Yuan waved his hand and replied with a smile, "Thinking about it now, it may not be appropriate." The king of Huai'an is a military general, and he is not proficient in civil affairs. Xue Guogong has followed me for many years and has performed many miraculous feats. But he is of noble birth, and I am afraid that, as you said, he will not understand Xiaomin's thoughts too much. As for Yun Guogong, he is good at scheming but negligent in hard work, I think about it now, I am afraid that it will backfire if he goes! When you go, you want to replace Zhang Liang back, and at the same time remind King Huai'an and Xue Guogong more, so that they can be careful in everything, put down their bodies, and listen carefully to the thoughts of the people! ”

"The minister is willing to share the worries of His Majesty!" Cheng Mingzhen arched his hand and gladly accepted the order.

"In this way, you are worthy of your name. Go down, and after the Pilgrimage tomorrow, I will send someone to deliver it to the inn. What else do you need, such as supplies, armor and staffs, you can tell the warriors of Yingguo Gong. Be prepared and get out early! Nodding, Li Yuan commanded with a smile. Then grab a copy and flip through it under the lamp.

This is a hint of the end of the meeting. Cheng Mingzhen got up to say goodbye and was led out by the little eunuch. When his footsteps turned out, Li Yuan raised his head from the fold again, looked at Gonggong Zheng, who was serving him with a strong spirit, and asked with a smile: "Eleven, what do you think of this young man?" ”

Eleven is the small character that Li Yuan gave to Zheng Gonggong, and he called it so many years ago. Although he was deeply favored, he still bowed and reminded very cautiously, "The slave is a lieutenant!" Your Majesty! ”

"I am not the Lord of Success. If you say it, you can say it. If you say right or wrong, I will naturally tell! Li Yuan smiled and waved his hand, urging with some impatience.

"It's not as good as the general Dacheng who entered the palace the day before yesterday!" Thinking about Li Yuan's meaning, Gonggong Zheng deliberately wanted to promote the first and suppress it, "Lacking the generosity and heroic heroism of General Dacheng, the pattern of looking at the problem is also smaller." The only good thing is to be bold and dare to tell the truth! ”

"You can't compare him to General Cheng Zhijie!" Without paying attention for a while, Li Yuan didn't distinguish Gonggong Zheng's tricks, waved his hand, and took the initiative to distinguish Cheng Mingzhen, "Cheng Zhijie is from the Southern Dynasty Wang clan, and he has been a general since elementary school!" And General Xiao Cheng's life experience is indeed a little bumpy. But he has been in the green forest for many years, but he has not lost his pure heart, which is really rare! (Note 2) "Your Majesty's eyes are like torches! Gonggong Zheng nodded with a smile, "The two generals Cheng are actually from the green forest, it's really funny!" ”

"Troubled times? Not yet! Li Yuan smiled and nodded slightly, "Not only are those small families from poor families rising up, but they are also wealthy families, and I am afraid they will not survive if they don't rebel." Are these troubled times? As he spoke, he sighed softly again and looked back at the dark night. The memories of that troubled times are so deep that he dreams back every midnight to this day, and his forehead is often wet with sweat. Fortunately, the Li family decisively rebelled and succeeded. If you continue to endure, I am afraid that in the end, you will not be able to escape the disaster of annihilation.

But what Cheng Mingzhen said today is not easy to achieve. First, after their court was full of nobles, they would definitely not watch their respective families' interests being restricted. And at the local level, the relationship between those gentry, nobles, officials, and officials is even more intertwined, affecting the whole body.

was thinking about it gloomily, and suddenly there was a sound of horses' hooves in the direction of the palace gate. Soon, the sound of horses' hooves turned into the sound of messy footsteps, from far to near, straight to the imperial study.

"Go out and see, what's going on!" Instinctively, Li Yuan felt that something big was coming, grabbed his cloak to cover his shoulders, and strode out by himself.

"Report!" As soon as he pushed open the door of the study, a guard on duty had already knelt down in front of him, "Report to Your Majesty, urgent military situation." On the 19th of this month, Liu Heimin in Hebei rebelled, and the rest of Dou Jiande rebelled. The king of Huai'an was defeated and retreated to Jijun! ”

Note 1: Li Shentong, King of Huai'an. Xue Guogong, the eldest grandson Shunde. Yun Guogong Zhang Liang.

Note 2: Historically, Cheng Zhijie was born in a local wealthy family, and was not a rough embryo who collected firewood and sold illicit salt.