After eating a light meal, the personnel arrangements for the imperial court's crusade against Li Jingye's rebellion were largely finalized. If nothing else, it will be Shi Li Xiaoyi, the governor of the Metropolitan Governor's Office, who will be in command in the name, Xue Chuyu, the general of the right guard, and Cheng Boxian, Zhou Jitong, Cui Hejian and others as deputy generals. Wei Yuanzhong served as the marching commander, Shi Chong served as the chief think tank, and Song Jing served as the marching Sima.

Of course, he will lead an army of 300,000 to fight, and he will use no less than 1,000 of them. The proportion of these people recommended by Xue Shao is not high, but all of them have been reused and occupy core leadership positions.

The next day, Wu Zetian once again convened the prime minister, Shangshu and generals of the current dynasty to convene a military meeting in front of the emperor to discuss the suppression of the Yangzhou rebellion. Everyone has a common experience, now that Pei Yan has fallen and been imprisoned, when the political hall discusses things, they don't have to look at Pei Yan's face before expressing their opinions. Although the Queen Mother still has the final decision, she is very much looking forward to everyone expressing their opinions and encouraging everyone to recommend candidates to participate in the counterinsurgency.

In today's terms, the boss of a company will want all his people to be capable, but a hired general manager does not want his colleagues' talents and limelight to overshadow him. Wu Zetian and Pei Yan's appearance in the political hall presents such a difference.

Xue Shao was most keenly aware of these changes, and he also thought in his heart: In the words of Princess Taiping, Pei Yan's downfall did break a pillar in the Tang Dynasty, but the rotten wood was broken, and the Tang Dynasty did not lack him. The atmosphere in the political hall is much better now than in the Yiyan Hall of the previous Pei Yan era, and everyone's talents and opinions have been brought into play, which is the most direct and powerful evidence!

Under the public discussion, the crusade against Yangzhou was basically arranged. The candidates recommended by Xue Shao have basically been implemented and no major adjustments have been made.

After the meeting was dispersed, most people had such a conjecture in their hearts: it is very rare for the imperial court to use a large number of young people to take the lead in such a major event as leading an army of 300,000 to quell the rebellion. What's even more striking is that this group of young people are all more or less related to Xue Shao - does this mean that after Pei Yan falls, Xue Shao will continue to rise?

This kind of question, the ministers only dare to think in their hearts, and no one speaks.

Xue Shao was seen too much by them with such eyes, and naturally realized in his heart. But Xue Shao's thoughts are completely different from theirs, he thinks that Wu Zetian has been mixed up for so many years and has suffered enough from the ministers. There is the eldest grandson Wuji in the front, and Pei Yan and others in the back. These people are all holding the title of "the first emperor cares for his life" and presses her. Moreover, all of these powerful ministers were killed by her in the end!

It can be seen that Quan Chen is almost Wu Zetian's natural enemy. According to her personality, she hopes that the prime ministers around her will go hand in hand and give full play to their talents in fighting and competing with each other. Moreover, Wu Zetian also has enough ability and patience to navigate this situation that goes hand in hand.

Then, at least in the era of Wu Zetian, Datang does not need and will not have a powerful minister like Pei Yan!

"As for me, Xue Shao......" When thinking of himself, Xue Shao smiled slightly, and thought to himself: "I will maintain a relationship with Wu Zetian, which is not only trusted and relied on by him, but also feared and guarded by her, which is inevitable for this 'military talent'." The key is that I won't be as stupid as Pei Yan to delusional about something that shouldn't belong to me, which is harmful to others and to myself and the country! ”

On the second day, Wu Zetian announced at the court meeting that Pei Yan would be tried by Yushi Dafu Qianwei, Prime Minister Liu Yuanzhi and others. Wei Xuantong, Liu Qixian and others publicly interceded for Pei Yan again, but they were also blocked back by Wu Zetian.

Wei Xuan, who was known as a "long-lasting friend", shed tears when he went down to the court. Seeing this scene, Xue Shao woke up in his heart, thinking of the fall of Pei Yan in history, but it affected the generals such as Cheng Wuting and Wang Fangyi.

They also pleaded with Pei Yan like Wei Xuantong. Moreover, the way they plead for mercy is different from that of civilian officials, and there are many more fierce and even threatening meanings in their words. As a result, they all ended up in a tragic end, which made the border military strength of the Tang Dynasty suffer a loss of Yan zhòng. As a result of the self-destruction of the Great Wall, in the years that followed, the Tang Dynasty suffered repeated setbacks in the wars with the Turks and Tibetans!

There is a way that the lips are dead and the teeth are cold, thinking of this, Xue Shao immediately moved his mind - such a thing must be prevented from happening again!

Wang Fangyi is now far away in the Western Regions, and it may take some time for him to receive the news. Cheng Wuting is not far away, and his relationship with Pei Yan is the most special, plus he is a person with a temperament that lacks political sharpness, so he will do stupid things if he can't do it!!

The more Xue Shao thought about it, the more nervous he became, and without further ado, he immediately rode on a fast horse and galloped towards Cheng Wuting's house.

The door of Cheng's house was closed, and Xue Shao stepped forward and slammed the door hard. After a long time, no one answered. Xue Shao thought to himself, Cheng Wuting's son Cheng Qizhi married Pei Yan's daughter, and now that Pei Yan is in prison, they must be very nervous now.

Don't think about it anymore, Xue Shao went directly over the wall. Looking around, the entire Cheng Mansion was empty and deserted, and not a single living person could see it.

"Cheng Qizhi, I'm Xue Shao, come out to see me!!" Xue Shao drank.

After shouting several times in a row, a window was opened in the servant room of the back house and a head poked out, and he said in surprise: "Xue Fuma...... Y-How did you come here? ”

Xue Shao saw that it was Cheng Qizhi.

"You're so promising, you're hiding!" Xue Shao strode forward and scolded angrily, "Can you hide like this?" ”

"So what?" Cheng Qizhi looked frustrated, sighed a few times, and then opened the door.

Xue Shao stood at the door and saw that this small room was crowded with the elders and children of the Cheng family, and several female dependents were hugging and crying. As soon as Xue Shao appeared, a woman threw herself at Xue Shao's feet and cried and cried: "The little woman begs Xue Shao, save us, save my father!" ”

No need to ask, this is Cheng Qizhi's wife, Pei Yan's daughter.

"It doesn't have to be that way, there's something to say. Get up first! Xue Shao said this to her neither enthusiastically nor indifferently, and then said, "Brother Cheng, I have something to say to you." ”

With that, Xue Shao turned around and left.

Cheng Qizhi took a few deep breaths, as if a person in the water had grabbed a life-saving straw, and quickly followed.

The two of them went to the study and closed the doors and windows.

Cheng Qizhi was about to open his mouth to beg, but Xue Shao split his head and covered his face with a sentence: "Have you told your father the news?" ”

Cheng Qi was stunned, and hurriedly took out a letter from his arms: "I just wrote it, and the ink hasn't dried yet!" ”

Xue Shao didn't even look at it, he took it and tore it to shreds directly, "Write another copy, write as I say." ”

Cheng Qizhi was very stunned, "Xue Yuma didn't even look at what I wrote, so let me write again?" ”

"I see that your whole family has a posture of six gods and no masters, so I can naturally think of it." Xue Shao snorted coldly and said, "If you want to kill your father and your whole family, you make your own decisions." Otherwise, listen to me!! ”

"Uh!! ......" Cheng Qizhi's eyes were straight, his face was pale, and beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down.

Xue Shao grimaced and said in a deep voice: "In a word, listen or not?" ”

Cheng Qizhi gritted his teeth fiercely, "Listen! - Cheng Mou now risked the lives of dozens of people in his family and believed in Xue Yuma! ”

"Stop talking nonsense, sit down and write a letter!" Xue Shao opened the four treasures of the study room and polished the ink for him with his own hands.

Cheng Qizhi didn't dare to be slow anymore, and immediately sat down upright and lifted the pen, "Please also ask Xue Juma to show me, how to write this letter?" ”

Xue Shao pondered for a moment and said, "You will directly sue your father, saying that Pei Yan colluded with Li Jingye to rebel and act as an internal response in the court, but Shihui was captured and was about to be executed." Now your Cheng family must draw a clear line with the Pei Yan family and break away from the relationship. And you have to solemnly remind your father that you must not intercede for Pei Yan emotionally, otherwise you will be guilty of complicity in rebellion. Your Cheng family is full of doors, and there will be no chickens and dogs!! ”

"Ahh

Cheng Qizhi was so frightened that he screamed, and the pen fell to the paper and fell out of a large cloud of ink.

"No avail!!" Xue Shao scolded in annoyance, "You are also a general, how can you be so cowardly?" ”

"Xue Juma...... I'm not afraid of charging into battle and cutting off heads and killing people! Cheng Qizhi said embarrassed and nervous, "But now that the step by step killing machine may be destroyed at any time, can I not be nervous?" ”

"Less nonsense, write!"

"Good ......" Cheng Qizhi took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, and just about to put down his pen he stopped again, looking at Xue Shao in confusion.

Xue Shao glared at him angrily, "What do you see?" Write! ”

"Xue Yuma, I want to ask a ......" Cheng Qizhi muttered, "Should I divorce my wife?" ”

"......" Xue Shao was silent for a moment and said, "You are your family matter." ”

"Okay, I understand......" Cheng Qizhi sighed, and finally put pen to paper.

After writing it, Cheng Qizhi showed the letter to Xue Shao. After reading it, Xue Shao asked him to make a few changes, and asked him to vaguely mention himself Xue Shao in the letter, presumably this would make Cheng Wuting more vigilant and make a wise choice.

"Is it all right, Xue Fuma?" Cheng Qizhi asked nervously.

Xue Shao looked at it three times again, and finally nodded, "It's okay." Send your most trusted person to Hebei in person and hand it over to your father in person - be quick! ”

"Okay, I'll do it right away!"

didn't linger any longer, Xue Shao immediately left the Cheng Mansion. On the way home, he was thinking, Wang Fangyi's side was far away, and it would take a month to send a messenger. However, all letters in the Western Regions had to be forwarded through the post station in Guò Xiazhou. In particular, the Tang newspaper issued by the army is a "special line" to take.

Xue Shao had an idea, Guo An had carrier pigeons there, and he could keep in touch with Liu Youqiu in Xiazhou at any time.

Then this matter is much easier to do!!

At this point, Xue Shao breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, the thought in his heart is extremely firm, that is, no matter what, the military backbone of Datang cannot be allowed to suffer losses in Pei Yan's political turmoil!!