Li Cunba wrote a memo to the emperor, and he wanted to ask the emperor what to do with the captured Xishu soldiers? He also told the emperor about the exploits of several generals under him in the defense of Chang'an. He also told the emperor that he killed Xie Meiren this time.

******

What is the emperor doing now? Xishu is tossing so hard here, why is there no movement at all from the emperor?

Now the emperor is busy governing the country.

Since the establishment of Li Tang, Prime Minister Guo Chongtao has offered a plan to the emperor.

Guo Chongtao said: Your Majesty, if you want to take the world in the future, you had better serve the world with virtue first, and you better not serve the world with soldiers first. It is best for us to develop our national strength first. Now that the south is fine, and they still have the so-called "Seven Nations Alliance", we had better not fight him at this time.

The emperor adopted Guo Chongtao's suggestion and began to develop his national strength first.

To develop national strength, it is necessary to train more troops and let the people collect more food.

Therefore, on the one hand, the emperor trained the troops, on the one hand, encouraged the common people to open up wasteland and farm to develop production, and on the other hand, let some soldiers go to the tuntian.

******

At this time, the emperor was busy governing the country, and he got the news of Xishu's invasion.

After the emperor got the news of Xishu's invasion, he immediately summoned several important ministers under him to consult.

Xishu invaded the border to fight Chang'an, and now there are not many people in Chang'an, in case Chang'an is lost, what should I do?

Of course, the ministers recruited by the emperor are inseparable from Li Siyuan, Guo Chongtao, Li Cunxiao and others.

At this time, Guo Chongtao spoke.

Guo Chongtao is the most assertive.

Guo Chongtao said: "Your Majesty, in the opinion of the ministers, this time Xishu invaded the territory, we had better not send troops." ”

The emperor said, "Why? ”

Guo Chongtao said: "Now, we don't have many soldiers at the moment. Many of the soldiers were sent down to the fields to grow grain. If we want to send troops, we must call back the troops who have been delegated,......。 ”

At this time, Guo Chongtao was just about to say that if those soldiers were recovered, there would be a lot of food. They were there to settle the fields well, and suddenly we didn't let them settle the fields, wouldn't the land be barren?

But at this time, Li Cunxiao spoke.

Li Cunxiao interrupted Guo Chongtao's words.

Li Cunxiao is a military general, and he does not speak. If you want to ask him to make an idea in case of trouble, he can't. But he always likes to ask why.

Li Cunxiao asked Guo Chongtao: "Prime Minister Guo, if we don't send troops, what will we do if Xishu takes our Chang'an?" ”

Guo Chongtao said: "Listen to me first? ”

Li Cunxiao said: "Okay, you say." ”

Guo Chongtao continued to say to the emperor: "If we send troops and don't talk about a lot of food, we may still be busy in vain. General Li Cunba of Chang'an is brave and invincible, and there are countless soldiers in Chang'an who can conquer and fight. In my opinion, with General Li in Chang'an, and with Chang'an's soldiers who can conquer and fight, they can almost resist the invasion of the Western Shu soldiers. If General Li could have resisted the invasion of those Western Shu soldiers, and we still had to send troops, wouldn't we be busy in vain? ”

Guo Chongtao is powerful enough, as soon as Xishu sent troops, he concluded that the Xishu soldiers might be defeated this time.

Sure enough, the Western Shu soldiers were really defeated.

After the emperor listened to Guo Chongtao's words, he nodded slightly.

But Li Cunxiao still shook his head.

Li Cunxiao said: "If we don't send troops, what if Xishu wants to take our Chang'an?" ”

Guo Chongtao said: "Even if that is the case, it is not necessarily a bad thing for us. ”

Li Cunxiao said: "What? ”

Guo Chongtao said: "If that's the case, we can use the topic to play and win his Xishu." ”

The emperor said, "Tell me what you mean." ”

Guo Chongtao said: "Now Xishu and several other countries in the south have signed the so-called "Seven-Nation Alliance" with each other. In that case, it will be very difficult for us to hit him. Because he signed the "League of Seven" with several other countries in the South. There is an article in the "Alliance of Seven Nations" that one side is in trouble and eight sides are supported. If we hit one of his countries, several of their other countries will come to their aid. But what if he really occupies our Chang'an? Then we'll have a reason to hit him. Shall I not be allowed to occupy his place only if he is allowed to occupy our place? ”

The emperor nodded again.

Guo Chongtao said: "So, I suggest that you don't send troops now. Now we're here watching. Look at how he tosses Xishu. If he is defeated, it is better; If he wins Xishu, it's nothing. By then, it will also be the end of autumn. Our food has also been beaten. We have food, and we have soldiers. I think it's not too late for us to hit him again. ”

The emperor nodded again.

Guo Chongtao also said: "Besides, it is only a possibility for him to occupy our Chang'an. Maybe he can't occupy my Chang'an at all, and maybe he is not even our opponent of General Li Cunba. Maybe Li Cunba, General Li, will be able to defeat them. ”

The emperor said: "If that happens, if we fight Xishu again, will the other countries in the south really care?" At that time, we will recover our Chang'an, and the southern countries may not care, because Chang'an is ours in the first place. But if we want to fight Xishu itself, will the southern countries not care? They have the so-called "Alliance of the Seven"? There is a clause in their so-called "Seven-Nation Alliance", if one country's territory is threatened, several other countries will have to support it? ”

Guo Chongtao said: "The emperor can rest assured, if it really comes to that time, the other countries in the south will not support Xishu." Your Majesty, please think about it, why did the southern countries sign alliance contracts with each other in the first place? Isn't it that they are afraid of being swallowed up by others? The reason why it signed the contract in the first place was not just to prevent us from the north. He should be guarding against all those who may pose a threat to him. If Xishu annexes our Chang'an, it means that Xishu also poses a threat to him. Xishu can annex our Chang'an today, and Xishu may annex them tomorrow. Therefore, if Xishu really annexes our Chang'an, they will also guard against Xishu. ”

The emperor laughed "ha" and "ha".

The emperor said: "Good! ”

Guo Chongtao said: "If Xishu really occupies our Chang'an, you can immediately send ministers to lobby the south." The minister assured that the minister's incorruptible tongue could completely say that the other countries in the south excluded Xishu from their alliance. ”

At this time, the emperor laughed "ha" ha.

So, the emperor adopted Guo Chongtao's suggestion.

******

At this time, Xishu was still busy taking Tongguan and preventing Li Tang from sending troops.

But Li Tang did not send troops.

*******

A few days later, the Western Shu army was truly defeated.

At this time, the news of the defeat of the Xishu army reached the ears of the emperor.

At this time, the emperor also received Li Cunba's recital. Li Cunba was talking about how he defeated the Xishu soldiers this time. At the same time, Li Cunba also asked the emperor in the fold, what should be done with the captured Xishu soldiers? At the same time, Li Cunba also said that he killed Xie Meiren in the recital.

On this day, the emperor gathered Guo Chongtao and several people together.

Today's main discussion is, what to do with those Xishu soldiers captured by Li Cunba?

If you want to kill so many people at once, it is not easy for the emperor to make a decision!

But to say that all those people were released, the emperor was very unwilling.

The emperor said in his heart: Have you tossed in vain on my territory?

At this time, Guo Chongtao spoke again.

Guo Chongtao said: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that it is okay to release those soldiers. ”

The emperor said, "Tell me what you mean." ”

Guo Chongtao said: "The minister once said to the emperor that if the emperor wants to win the world in the future, it is best to serve the world with virtue first. Now that the emperor has put those captives back, it is also an opportunity for the emperor to make many Xishu people grateful to Dade. ”

Li Cunxiao said: "You can be more clear. ”

Guo Chongtao said: "If the emperor kills those people, it will not be enough to destroy Shu." Xishu has a large population, can you kill him by killing 10,000 people? If the emperor really killed those people, it would also arouse the resentment of many people in Xishu against the emperor, and it would be even more unfavorable for the emperor to fight Xishu in the future. Therefore, the minister thinks that it is better to let those people go. ”

When the emperor heard this, he laughed again.

The emperor said: "Good! ”

The emperor immediately sent an edict to Li Cunba: Release all those people!

The ministers said: We have such an emperor, we have such a prime minister, why don't we worry about the world!