Zhang Bao'er was confused by Hou Huai'an, and he was a little dissatisfied: "Can you say something that I can understand?" ”

"Absolutely!" Hou Huai'an readily agreed, but suddenly asked, "Has the Duke of Dingguo heard of the twenty-four heroes of Lingyan Pavilion?" ”

"I've heard of some!" Zhang Bao'er replied: "It is said that Emperor Taizong ordered people to paint the portraits of twenty-four heroes in the Lingyan Pavilion in order to remember the many heroes who fought the world together, the proportions are all life-size, and the portraits are all facing north, and Emperor Taizong often goes to nostalgia. ”

Hou Huai'an asked again: "Hou Junji, who is ranked seventeenth among the twenty-four meritorious heroes, must have heard of it?" ”

Zhang Baoer shook her head.

A look of disappointment flashed on Hou Huai'an's face, and he patiently explained to Zhang Bao'er: "When Dazong was the king of Qin, Hou Junji followed him, and in the Xuanwumen Incident, Hou Junji was one of the main planners, and Taizong rewarded him heavily. Hou Junji participated in the battle of Li Jing's annihilation of Tuyuhun, and he made great contributions in the war. In the thirteenth year of Zhenguan, Taizong ordered Hou Junji to be the general manager of the Jiaohe Road March, and led tens of thousands of horsemen and Turkic and Khambi to conquer Gaochang. Taizong held a banquet in the middle of the court, and it was only dispersed in three days. It can be said that Hou Junji is capable of literature and martial arts, and he is the first handsome talent after Li Jing. is such a brave and warlike general, but he was given death by Taizong on the charge of rebellion. ”

Zhang Bao'er's heart moved, Hou Huai'an's surname is Hou, and the Hou Junji he said is also surnamed Hou, what does they have to do with each other?

Hou Huai'an continued: "Before Hou Junji died, Taizong saw him and told him that he didn't want those clerks who handled the case to insult him, so Taizong personally interrogated him. Before Hou Junji was sentenced, his color did not change, and he asked the prison general to bring a message to Taizong, saying that he had not rebelled, and begged Taizong to see that he had been a general, destroyed two countries, and had a little merit, and asked Taizong to leave him a son and sweep the tomb for him in the future. Therefore, Taizong left a son to succeed Hou Jun to collect incense and exiled his son to Lingnan. ”

"Just tell me straight, what is your relationship with this Chen Guogong?" Zhang Baoer asked bluntly.

"Hou Junji is my grandfather!" Hou Huai'an finally gave the answer.

Zhang Bao'er suddenly realized: "So that's the case, so your father is the only son of Chen Guogong?" ”

"Exactly!"

"Didn't your father be exiled to Lingnan, then how did you get to Tibet?" Zhang Baoer asked puzzled.

Hou Huai'an snorted coldly: "When my grandfather was an important minister of the imperial court, everyone wanted to make friends with him, but after he was convicted, the wall fell down and everyone pushed him, and my father was exiled to Lingnan, saying that he saved his life, but the local officials bullied and oppressed him in every way, if it wasn't for the king of Tubo to send someone to rescue him, it is estimated that he would have been dead long ago!" ”

Zhang Bao'er was silent, not to mention the son of a criminal minister, even if it was Li Xian and Li Xian, the sons of Gaozong Li Zhi, after being exiled, one was forced to commit suicide by the officials of the exile, and the other was so panicked that he almost collapsed.

After a long time, Zhang Baoer asked: "Just because the king of Tubo saved your father, you forgot that you are from the Tang Dynasty, serving the Tubo people, and being the enemy of the Tang Dynasty?" ”

Hou Huai'an asked rhetorically: "While I want to put you to death, I will spare no effort to save you, Dingguo Gong, if it were you, what would you do?" ”

Zhang Baoer was speechless, and he was likely to make the same choice.

Although Zhang Baoer sympathized with Hou Huai'an in his heart, he refused to admit defeat, he argued strongly: "However, your grandfather was convicted because of rebellion, this is his own fault, and you can't blame Datang!" ”

"If my grandfather really rebelled, my father and I would have accepted our fate, but we knew that he was wronged, so why should we suffer such a crime?"

"He was wronged?" Zhang Bao'er was surprised: "When your grandfather died, you should not have been born yet, how did you know?" ”

"My grandfather told my father before he died!" Hou Huai'an sighed and said: "Back then, Taizong's Wei Chigong, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhai, Eldest Sun Wuji and others were all capable ministers, and my grandfather was among the twenty-four heroes of the Tang Dynasty, so he naturally had his uniqueness. However, in that era of competition for merit and favor, whoever is stronger than yourself means that who is your enemy, although my grandfather continued to win victories on the battlefield, but at the same time offended Li Jing, Li Daozong and others. In order to bring down my grandfather, Li Jing, Li Daozong and others single-handedly planned a conspiracy. In the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, Zhang Liang was released as the governor of Luozhou with the official title of Prince Zhan Shi, and Li Jing, Li Daozong, Fang Xuanling and others told Zhang Liang that as long as he could pull my grandfather into the water, he would be protected from release. Zhang Liang grasped the life-saving straw and framed my grandfather to Taizong. Taizong believed in my grandfather's character, did not listen to the slander, suppressed the matter, and still treated my grandfather as before. Soon after, Taizong commended my grandfather and some other heroes for being painted on the Lingyan Pavilion. ”

Zhang Baoer was dumbfounded, it was the first time he had heard such an inside story from the Tang Dynasty.

Hou Huai'an continued: "Seeing that my grandfather could not be brought down by slander again and again, these people came up with another idea, they said that when my grandfather destroyed Gaochang Kingdom, he appointed officials on his own initiative without asking the imperial court, and at the same time plundered a large number of rare treasures and women privately. At this time, everyone was talking badly about my grandfather. Taizong couldn't help but be suspicious, at this time, Cen Wenwen made an excerpt for my grandfather, Taizong felt that Cen Wenwen was reasonable, and let my grandfather go again. ”

Zhang Bao'er couldn't help sighing after hearing this, Hou Junji was repeatedly plotted in the court, and it was not easy to survive.

"The game of power in the court has always been a life-and-death struggle, and if you want to bring down my grandfather, it is not without a chance. As the crown prince of the East Palace, Li Chengqian was worried that he would one day be deposed and his status would not be guaranteed, and he wanted to emulate his father to fight for the position of the Son of Heaven, but the matter was revealed. Li Daozong, Li Jing and others finally found evidence of my grandfather's rebellion, that is, my grandfather's son-in-law Helan Chushi was the crown prince's person. So, they coerced and enticed, and through torture into tricks, Helan Chushi exposed my grandfather's collusion with the crown prince to rebel. Taizong had long been annoyed by his sons' competition for the throne, and hated the heroes around him for colluding with his sons, because this was how he came to power in the first place. Therefore, Taizong did not hesitate to put my grandfather on death row. ”