The midsummer of the Tenho year is gradually coming to an end, but it is also the most difficult day, the oppressive summer heat, the heat stands across the earth, the air has become transparent and flowing, and there are few pedestrians on Suzaku Street, and even people who ask for food do not want to come out.

In the evening, a few soldiers guarding the city in front of the Mingde Gate lazily leaned against the base of the city wall, scooping a scoop of water from a bucket and pouring it on themselves from time to time.

"Damn, it's a hard life, even the well water has become hot!" A soldier scolded in a low voice: "Those officials can wear fur coats and hug the little lady to keep warm, but the old man has to stay under this poisonous sun and wear such heavy armor."

"Lang, what you said is weird, how can you wear a fur coat to keep warm on a hot day?"

A fat black soldier beside him 'Whoa'! , smiled, turned a nod with his elbow, and mocked in a low voice: "I think Lang is hot and faint, talking nonsense."

Wu Chang was a nearly forty-year-old veteran, he pursed his mouth and said disdainfully: "You know a fart, Lang is talking about Yang Guozhong, people use ice to build walls, of course, they wear fur fur and hug women."

As he spoke, he saw more than a dozen black and thin Tang soldiers leading the horses and walking away, the military uniforms on their bodies were ragged, those horses were as thin as them, their steps were heavy, and they kept snorting, and the commander slowly stood up, his face was solemn.

The Tang army defending the city stood up one after another, silently watching the ragged Tang army walk into the city gate, the fat soldier touched a nail, and his heart was angry, seeing that these dozen people were not like people, ghosts and ghosts Tang Jun walked into the past, and couldn't help but rush to their backs, 'Bah!' , "Dressed so tattered, but running to Chang'an to embarrass me!" ”

Wu Chang strode forward. Slapped him hard on the scalp and scolded, "Bastard! This is Anxi's border army, people are fighting, but you are hiding here to enjoy the coolness, you have the face to say."

These dozen Tang soldiers traveled thousands of miles to Beijing to send Wu Xingsu and his party, they galloped day and night, changed horses all the way, and arrived in Chang'an in only one month.

Li Qing instructed them to go to see Gao Lishi, but it was already dark at this time. Gao Lishi has not yet returned from the palace, and more than a dozen Tang soldiers are extremely exhausted. A few large trees fell in front of Colliers' Mansion and fell into a deep sleep.

It wasn't until dawn the next day that Colliers' carriage finally returned to the house. He is also tired and tired these days, not only to review the recital on behalf of Li Longji, but also to serve the main wind and snow, to deal with his endless points in order to please the concubine, last night, the ice palace made of 200,000 yuan collapsed, crushing more than a dozen eunuchs and palace maids. He dealt with it all night.

Gao Lishi was drowsy in the carriage, and was suddenly awakened by a loud noise, he sat up straight with difficulty, and looked out through the curtain of the carriage, only to see a dozen soldiers lying horizontally under the big Rong tree, and several family members were bombarding them away.

"Forget it! Let them go. Wouldn't it be better to be quiet? Colliers waved his hand, "Hurry up and get in!" ”

At that moment, a porter ran down the steps. Standing in front of the carriage, he reported: "Master! They are the Anxi Army, saying that there is something important looking for you"

'Anxi Army is looking for me! Gao Lishi turned his mind and immediately woke up, "Could it be Li Qing?" ，

"Ask them what's the matter?"

After a while, Wu Xingsu was brought forward, he gave a military salute in front of the carriage, took out Li Qing's fold from his arms, and handed it over with both hands, "This is from the Governor of my family, Li Dudu, to the general."

He looked at the soldiers again, and saw that they had already gotten up from the ground, all of them in tattered uniforms, and their faces were dark and thin, and Gao Lishi's eyes couldn't help but show surprise, "You are from the Stone Country?" ”

"Yes!" Wu Xingsu bowed and saluted again, "The governor said that the matter is urgent, we dare not delay, and we will come day and night."

"I see!"

From Shiguo to Chang'an, Gao Lishi's heart suddenly felt a little moved, he turned back to his family and said: "These are the pillars of my Tang Dynasty, lead them into the house, and give them a good meal and rest." ..........

An hour later, a carriage came from the east and quietly stopped at the back door of the Colliers' house, and a young man wearing a bamboo hat quickly got out of the carriage, and the steward, who had been waiting in front of the door, immediately led him in.

"A-Weng, are you looking for me?" The young man flashed into the study, he took off the bamboo hat, and it was the former Tai Li Heng who was abolished, maybe he didn't suffer from the gains and losses of the time, but his spirit was much better, but his face was still as pale as before.

He was named the king of Dongxian, still living in the original Zhongwang Mansion, at the beginning he was not allowed to go out at will, there was a special person to monitor his words and deeds, as time went by, Li Longji's supervision of him gradually relaxed, Li Heng could also occasionally go out secretly once or twice a month, wander the old streets and alleys, taste the wine house teahouse, and became a veritable idle king.

At dawn today, Gao Lishi suddenly sent someone to invite him, saying that there was an urgent matter to discuss, Li Heng did not dare to slack off, and sneaked out.

"I know it's not easy for the prince to come out, let's make a long story short!"

Gao Lishi smiled and poured him a cup of tea himself, before returning to his seat and said unhurriedly: "I am actually looking for you for the king of Guangping."

"Yu'er?" Li Heng was taken aback, Li Li was the only hope for him to step into the Daming Palace and ascend to the throne of the Emperor Taishang, but nothing should happen.

Just as Li Qing guessed in the abolition of Taishi, Li Longji has not yet established a new East Palace, time is the touchstone of all affairs, after King Yong and King Qing failed to enter the East Palace for a long time, Li Longji's other sons also set their sights on the palace that fascinated them, as the waste of Li Heng, behind his idleness, he never gave up hope.

He is the eldest grandson of the emperor who was once most valued by his father, and he has the full support of Gao Lishi, so he may not have the possibility of entering the East Palace, in order not to affect him, in the past two years, he has only seen his son three times.

Seeing that he was surprised, Gao Lishi couldn't help but smile slightly: "Don't be surprised, prince. There's nothing bad about it, it's a good thing."

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and looked at Li Heng and said, "I received a recital today, and I have been thinking about it for a long time, and I think there is something I should tell you."

Gao Lishi stood up and walked a few steps in the room, he looked at the Panasonic chess diagram on the wall, and said slowly for a long time: "Supporting the King of Guangping to enter the East Palace, I am also influenced by a person, he and I have always been in the alliance in this matter, and sometimes his role even exceeds mine."

Colliers suddenly turned around. There was a mysterious smile in his eyes, "Guess what." Who is this person? ”

Li Heng was stunned, even more useful than Colliers. Who could it be, the concubine? Or Li Linfu?

"The prince can't think of it." Gao Lishi smiled and waved his hand, "You might as well think about the Shangyuan Night of Tianbao's fourth year, when there was an extra Taishe person in the East Palace."

"Li Qing!"

Li Heng suddenly realized, and then his eyes of surprise dimmed again, and he shook his head gently, what can Li Qing support. His energy is too small.

Gao Lishi saw the disappointment on Li Heng's face, and naturally understood his thoughts, Gao Lishi didn't say anything, only smiled lightly: "I want the king of Guangping to go to the stone country and experience a year, I don't know if the prince is willing to do it?" ”.........

'When! , the crisp sound of the bell echoed over the Xingqing Palace. This is the emperor has woken up from a nap, and the eunuchs and palace maids on duty immediately got busy, serving soup and tea. All of them hurried.

Li Longji stretched out for a long time, the cool breeze in the room made his nap extra sweet, and when he woke up, he only felt refreshed and refreshed.

Although the sun is scorching outside, but the inner wall of the room is built with a layer of ice wall, coupled with good ventilation, it makes people feel breezy and cool like spring, Li Longji walked to the window, but unexpectedly found that there was a fold on the table, he smiled, presumably Gao Lishi encountered a major event that could not be decided.

This is the place where he is most satisfied with Gaolis, doing something and not doing something, self-determination of small things or forwarding the book to the province for discussion, and reporting to himself on major matters, which is more important and which is lighter, and pinching and holding it just right.

Li Longji's gaze fell on the signature of the song: The two towns of Anxi and Beiting pacified Li Qing, and he was shocked, "Could it be that something happened in the Western Regions?" , Li Longji immediately sat down and impatiently opened the recital........

The reverberating bells of Xingqing Palace also woke up Gao Lishi, who was resting in the side hall, he washed his face indiscriminately, and hurried to Li Longji's dormitory. , there was a loud noise, and several eunuchs were so frightened that they closed their eyes.

"The emperor is angry, Ah Weng go quickly!" An old eunuch ran out of it, his legs trembling with fright, and his upper and lower teeth trembled, "The emperor ordered me to summon Xiangguo."

Gao Lishi was a little apprehensive, he knew that Li Longji would be angry for that book, but he didn't expect him to be angry to such an extent, Gao Lishi bent down and picked up the inkstone that was broken in half, and shook his head with a sigh, this is the best bloodstone in Chuzhou's tribute, and it took a hundred years to see this side, carved into a dragon inkstone, and it was gone after such a fall.

He turned around and took the jade bowl from a palace maid, carefully held it and walked to Li Longji, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, this is the slush that the concubine Niangniang personally prepared for you, eat a little fire!" ”

Hearing the word 'concubine, Li Longji's anger disappeared slightly, he took the jade bowl with a gloomy face, scooped a piece of clotted slush with a small golden spoon and put it in his mouth, and let out a long sullen breath for a long time.

"Gao Xianzhi is too arrogant, I really can't bear it!"

"Those who have no kings in their eyes will be chaotic sooner or later, and it is better to plan it early than to make it bigger."

Li Longji stopped the golden spoon in surprise, Gao Lishi never refused to talk lightly about gains and losses in the political situation, and today he made an exception.

"Is this the opinion of the General?"

Gao Lishi bowed his head and said: "How can the old slave casually participate in the government affairs, it is really because the emperor's anger today is rare in the past two years, and the old slave also feels it."

"I don't know, I also sent a prison guard for this." Speaking of this, Li Longji couldn't help but say hatefully: "Bian Lingcheng can't go to death every time he goes to war, such a big incident happened in Shiguo, and he didn't see his report, needless to say, this dog thief must have eaten Gao Xianzhi's bribe, and I don't know how many things are deceiving Yu Zhen."

Speaking of deception, Li Longji had just calmed down the fire and rushed up again, and he remembered a copy of the above table from Tocharian Luo Hu a few days ago. It is said that the Tocharian countries have sent envoys to Qiuzi every year, and have always regarded the Tang Dynasty as the suzerain, and the threat of the Great Eclipse is getting heavier, so please send troops to the Tang Dynasty to resist the Great Eclipse together. Li Longji learned from this table that the small country in the Western Regions actually regarded Qiuzi as an audience, in other words, seeing Gao Xianzhi in the court was equivalent to meeting him Li Longji, and Bian Lingcheng did not say anything about it, which is the root of his anger today.

'Boom! , Li Longji smashed the jade bowl on the table again, "Go!" Take my gold medal and summon Bian Lingcheng back."

Colliers took the gold medal in a panic and was just about to leave. Li Longji suddenly stopped him again, "Forget it." Wait a minute."

Asking Bian Lingcheng to come back is a trivial matter, but if it alarms Gao Xianzhi. That's the big deal.

Li Longji slowly sat on the chair, looking at a cicada on the branch outside the window in a daze, Gao Lishi saw that his eyes were flickering, and knew that Li Longji was fighting in his heart, so he said in a low voice: "Actually, Anxi still has Li Shilang here, the emperor doesn't have to worry."

Li Longji sighed, this was what he was worried about. One mountain does not tolerate two tigers, I originally wanted the two to contain each other, but now it has become two tigers fighting, it doesn't matter if one dies, I am afraid that it will affect the stability of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, which is also caused by his poor consideration at the beginning. He had the intention of transferring Gao Xianzhi back, but he was worried that Li Qing would not be able to suppress Gao Xianzhi's old department.

At this time, a eunuch reported at the door. Lee Sang-kook is here.

Li Linfu happened to have an urgent matter to ask to see Li Longji, due to the tight finances, the salt and iron supervisor raised the price of salt to 150 per bucket, which caused trouble among salt merchants in various places, with Yangzhou being the most serious, and many people were killed and injured.

Li Linfu met the eunuch who announced the decree halfway, and when he heard that Li Longji was furious, he immediately sent the person he was going to play to send home.

What he wants to play is the root cause of this salt merchant trouble, the court has serious financial problems, the main reason is that the palace expenses have increased month by month, and it is only August now, but the palace expenditure has exceeded five million guan, just one summer fee, last year it was 200,000 guan, but this year it will reach one million, so go on, there are autumn hunting, winter patrol, by the end of the year can be controlled within 8 million guan is lucky, Datang's various taxes a year together are only 20 million guan, but the palace expenses have gone to nearly half, and they have to bear military expenses, If this continues, the place can only stop eating or drinking.

As the prime minister, Li Linfu was also worried about the financial constraints all day long, but he did not have the outspokenness of Zhang Ling, Yao Chong and others, and in the face of the grim situation, he finally chose the latter between the rise and fall of the country and personal gains and losses, so that various social contradictions continued to accumulate, coupled with the incompetence of Yang Guozhong in the later period, and finally the Anshi Rebellion broke out.

Li Longji naturally does not care about the financial use, in his opinion, the money is not enough to increase the price of salt, or to expand the scope of the monopoly, at the beginning of the year iron, tea, wine are included in the monopoly category, when the moon is almost hot, and saltpeter is included in the monopoly, this is Li Qing's trouble, his saltpeter ice method is already common sense, with ice to cool down has long become the first choice for summer.

Li Longji was concerned about his throne and his heavenly dignity, and he called Li Linfu to discuss with him how to deal with Gao Xianzhi.

Li Linfu hurriedly watched Li Qing's recital, and couldn't help but gasp, Gao Xianzhi dared to be so bold, executed the king without authorization, sacked the city of Tuozhi, and he himself also poured the treasure house of the stone country.

Although Li Longji didn't say anything, since he showed this piece to himself, it showed that he was going to move Gao Xianzhi, otherwise it would be a big laugh.

As the emperor, many things can not be said to the minister, must be the following ministers to understand, to figure out, on the one hand, can deter the psychology of the minister, on the other hand, can also maintain the dignity of the emperor, always can not hate someone, just shouted out the noon gate beheaded, this history can be written! Zhu Yuanzhang of later generations was born recklessly and didn't understand this, so he finally fell into a brutal handle in history.

Otherwise, you can learn from Wu Zetian, get a few cool officials to make a move, and finally kill the world, Li Longji is the same, use Li Linfu to eliminate dissidents for him, and finally whip the corpse after Li Linfu dies to win the gratitude of the world.

Li Linfu is a master of figuring out the holy will, his mind is turning rapidly, and he immediately thinks that Li Longji must be a rat trap, afraid that Gao Xianzhi will be angry, so he has to come forward himself, since he wants to come forward himself, it is not to kill him.

"Your Majesty, it is better for the minister to let Gao Xianzhi go to Beijing to report on his work, and then give it to the high-ranking officials and raise him in Beijing, so as to reassure the hearts of his subordinates."

"Debriefing?" Li Longji took two steps, and suddenly said lightly: "The debriefing will not be until the beginning of next year, it's still early!" ”

Li Linfu's eyes rolled, and he immediately had a way, he smiled and said, "Will it be the birthday of the concubine in a few days?" The minister implored His Majesty to order the generals on all sides to sacrifice prisoners, Gao Xianzhi has made great contributions to the attack on Xiao Bolu and Shu Shiguo, and he can be rewarded in advance, and then ordered to enter Beijing to thank him! ”

Li Linfu's method is to take Gao Xianzhi's death hole, he attacked Xiao Bolu in the year of Tianbao and captured the king, the Tubo princess, and the later king of Shushi are all imprisoned in Qiuzi, if he enters Beijing to offer prisoners, such a glorious thing, how can he let it be given to others, plus the title of Gao Xianzhi, he will definitely come to thank him in person to receive the reward, and then raise him in Beijing, you can be foolproof.

Li Longji smiled, "You are a prime minister, but I don't think as far as you think."

He nodded slightly, and verbally agreed to Li Linfu's request to celebrate the birthday of the concubine, and he took care of the rest.

Li Longji suddenly replied and said in a high voice: "Spread my will, Gao Xianzhi has made great contributions to the enemy, and he has been crowned as the third division of Kaifu Yi and the Duke of Miyun County, with a reward of 50 million yuan, 1,000 silk horses, and special permission to shade the two of them." .........

After Li Linfu left, Li Longji pondered for a long time, the matter of Gao Xianzhi's entry into Beijing was resolved, but Li Qing had a stiff relationship with him, how could he hand over military power to Li Qing, this is also a matter worth discussing.

Gao Lishi smiled silently on the side, he is Li Longji's roundworm, this question has already been thought of for him, Li Longji felt something, looked up at Gao Lishi, and suddenly stroked his palm and smiled: "I forgot you, you tell me, how to untie this knot for me?" ”

"The old slave thinks that the matter of Shiguo has greatly hurt the hearts of the Hu people, and the emperor cannot be appeased if he comes forward, but the emperor's appearance will cause unnecessary misunderstandings, Your Majesty might as well let the emperor's eldest grandson send an envoy to the Western Regions to appease the Anxi army and the countries of the Western Regions." ――――-ˉ―-ˉ―――――――――――――――

Historical tips: In history, Gao Xianzhi was recalled to report after slaughtering Shiguo, Li Longji was ready to transfer him to the Hexi Jiedu envoy, but Hexi Jiedu made An Sishun the envoy and refused to give up, and finally Li Longji decided to seal him as the general of the right Yulin Army, which is actually the method of Ming Sheng and secretly degraded, which shows that some of Gao Xianzhi's practices in Anxi did make Li Longji dissatisfied with him, but at this time, the Battle of Talas broke out, in order not to affect the battle situation, Gao Xianzhi returned to Anxi.