Although Pei Ju is far away in Zhangye, he has won the trust of Yang Guang.

He and Pei Mingcui are trusted by Yang Guang differently, Pei Mingcui is valued by Yang Guang because of Chen Xuanhua, Pei Ju is not a father and daughter, but because he knows Yang Guang's heart.

His own merits are closely linked to the great cause of Emperor Yang of Sui, the Battle of Pingchen, the pacification of the Lingnan Rebellion, the Northern Split Turks, and the formulation of Sui rites by Niu Hong, the secretary of the Ministry of Shangshu, were all done by Pei Ju in the prosperous era. After that, Pei Ju mostly operated the Western Regions, formulated a frontier strategy, made a map of the Western Regions, marked the dangers of various places, and successfully defeated Tuyuhun to expand the territory for the Great Sui, which was inseparable from this person's familiarity with the geography of Western Xinjiang. Even the attack on Goryeo has a lot to do with this person, and it is the formulation of this person's external strategy that made Yang Guang make the decision to attack Goryeo. In Pei Ju's eyes, Liaodong was already an agricultural area, and the people were civilized, and it was far easier than the Turks to be incorporated into the territory of the Sui Dynasty Empire, but it was because of his proposal to conquer Liaodong that the Great Sui was pushed to the land of disaster.

Since the failure of the Liaodong expedition, Pei Ju took the blame and went to Zhangye, concentrating on economic and trade exchanges with the Western Regions, and taking care of political affairs. Li Jing didn't expect that he would come to Ma Yi to find him, and as soon as he came, he brought Yang Guang's secret decree.

As for Pei Ju's decision to go to the Western Regions, in Li Jing's eyes, the responsibility cannot be completely placed on Pei Ju. Pei Ju's theory is reasonable, and the plan formulated is thorough, but he met the arrogant Yang Guang. Li Jing has the talent to command the army, but Pei Ju has the ability to run the country, but the two did not actually participate in the Liaodong war. Of course, the plan is not as fast as the change, coupled with Yang Guang's early killing of Gao Ying, the most capable minister of the Great Sui, the state administration led to the loss of control, the defeat of Liaodong, and the collapse of the country. In the final analysis, the root cause of the Great Sui rout is all on Yang Guang alone.

Li Jing is over forty years old, and now he has become the commander of Mayi County because of Xiao Buyi, but this is not to say that he is incompetent, but because he is too capable.

Most capable people are arrogant, Li Jing has been depressed because he is arrogant and upright, and he is not good at patting horses, and Pei Ju is also very capable, but because of his sleek surname, he can reach the status he has today.

Pei Ju took the blame for going to Zhangye, rarely returned to the court, did not fight for credit, and did not suppress bandits, it seems to be low-key, but it is the best way to protect himself, Li Jing's respect for this kind of person is not because of his rank, but because of his ability.

When he heard Pei Ju say that the Holy Lord wanted Li Jing to spy on Li Yuan, Li Jing was not surprised.

The last time Li Yuan was not affected in the East and was exiled, it was because of Li Xuanba, but Yang Guang has always been very suspicious, except for Zhang Xutuo, it is difficult to have someone who he absolutely trusts. The effect of Li Xuanba's loyalty has been over for so long, and it is almost coming to an end.

Since Xiao Buyi set off from Taiyuan, Li Yuan, who stayed in Taiyuan, has finally done smoothly, and his talent is slowly showing, Shanxi bandit Lishan Fei was defeated by Xiao Buyi first, and returned to Hebei, and there are a few remaining bandits, such as Wu Duan'er, Jing Pantuo, Liu Miaowang and others were defeated by him successively.

These are all local thieves, and they are still a lot worse than the giant thieves, but Li Yuan's governance is well organized, and he has already shown his management talent.

But doing things for Yang Guang is indeed a dilemma, if you lose, you are responsible, and if you win, you must guard against Yang Guang's suspicion.

Shanxi is a major place, close to the eastern capital of Xijing, although Yang Guang is going south, he still feels uneasy, so he uses Li Jing, he is gradually uneasy about Li Yuan, so he is ready to use Li Jing to contain Li Yuan, and when necessary, he even decided to get rid of it. Although he is now deceiving himself, he still doesn't want to let go of his country, and there is only one word for those who threaten his throne, kill! It doesn't matter if the other party has merit or not, even if the other party is related to the other.

"What virtue do I have to monitor Lord Li's movements?" Li Jing's face was a little helpless.

Pei Ju smiled and said: "The old man has always known that he is a great talent, but it is a pity that the old lady is soft-spoken, and she has not been able to persuade the saint to use the staff outsider, which is really a regret in her life." I thought that after the conquest of Liaodong, I would recommend the Wailang to the Holy Lord no matter what, but I didn't expect that the old man would be difficult to protect himself later, which is also a pity. However, the pearl is covered with dust, and there will be a time for life, and now is a great opportunity for outsiders. ”

Stretched out his hand and took out a secret decree from his arms and handed it to Li Jing, Pei Ju smiled and said: "Wai Lang has this secret decree, you can cut Li Yuan first and then play, and you don't need to ask the saint." ”

Li Jing opened his eyes and looked at it, closed the secret decree again, and frowned: "Since the Holy Lord is not at ease with Tang Guogong, why don't you just issue an order to get rid of him?" ”

Pei Ju sighed, "At the moment, I just suspect that Li Yuan has a counterintention, but there is no conclusive evidence, if the Holy Lord takes the liberty to get rid of the meritorious ministers, I am afraid that the ministers will be cold." ”

"Then the Holy Lord can take the liberty of getting rid of General Xiao?" Li Jing's face remained unchanged and asked.

Pei Ju's eyes flickered, and he looked at Li Jing interestingly, but Li Jing did not avoid it, his eyes were burning.

The hall was silent, and the breath could be heard, slightly solemn.

"I know that Wailang and Xiao Buyi have a very good relationship, but I don't think Wailang is a person who acts willingly." Pei Ju suddenly laughed, "Actually, the relationship between Xiao Buyi and the little girl is not bad, he is recommended by Pei Valve, and the saint suddenly made an order, and the old man is also related." But even if the little girl and the staff don't know it, he is originally a heavenly opportunity, so he can turn evil into good fortune, but he doesn't tell you about it, he doesn't seem to be as simple and sincere as we imagined. ”

Li Jing frowned slightly, "Tianji, does Pei Shilang also believe in this nonsense?" ”

Pei Ju laughed, but his eyes were sharp, "The outsider is erudite and talented, he must be able to distinguish right from wrong by himself, why should the old man rap, in fact, there is an old thing that I don't know whether to talk about or not?" ”

Li Jing said respectfully: "Master Pei is too polite, what do you have to say, but it doesn't hurt." ”

Pei Ju smiled and said: "Actually, the staff has not been promoted, and it has something to do with Li Yuanda. I think that Li Yuan begged for a horse from the outsider, but the outsider handled it impartially, did not show favoritism, and flatly refused, which made Li Yuan remember it in his heart. When he held the flag, he said to the saint that there was a backbone in the back of the head, which made the outside Lang not reuse it over the years. In fact, many ministers know about these old things, but they have not reached the ears of outsiders. ”

Li Jing breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and said, "I see, thank you Master Pei for your advice, Li Jing knows how to do it." ”

"That's the best." Pei Ju also stood up with a smile and patted Li Jing's shoulder gently, "The outsider is so self-conscious, don't miss this opportunity." ”

**

Taiyuan City, Taiyuan Stay-at-Home House.

The house is quite plain, and it can even be said to be a little shabby, which is very inconsistent with the identity of Taiyuan left-behind.

Li Yuan sat on the side of the bed, disheveled, but his shoes were worn upside down, his hands were tightly clasped with a smile on his face.

The man's hands were white and tender, very similar to the hands of a young girl, but when he looked up with his hands, he found that it was an old man with a long beard and a ruddy face.

Li Yuan's grandmother's face and the old man shine brightly, if you don't know, you think that the old husband and wife are nostalgic for the past.

"Brother Kaishan, after many years of absence, I didn't expect to see you today." Li Yuan sighed: "You and I are old. ”

Yin Kaishan smiled and said: "Tang Guogong's demeanor is the same as in the past, how can he be called old?" But I am old, I heard that Tang Guogong was promoted to Taiyuan to stay, I have always wanted to visit, but always when Tang Guogong went out to crusade against bandits, Taigu County is a lot of affairs, always can not see each other, now said to meet, very gratifying. ”

Li Yuan also smiled and said: "Actually, I have always wanted to visit the virtuous brother of the mountain, but every time I miss it, until now, it is fate." ”

"I'm just a small county order, every time I think of seeing the left-behind adults, I can't help but be honestly afraid, I didn't expect to see it today, the left-behind adults are really as the people say, treat people with virtue, honesty and generosity, it is really a blessing for us." Yin Kaishan's hands were clenched, and he couldn't be idle, he couldn't brush his beard, and he lost a lot of vivid expressions.

Li Yuan shook his head again and again, "I deserve the love of the local fathers." ”

His attitude is very enthusiastic, although he is staying in Taiyuan, he has no official frame at all. The two of them chattered about nothing more than some homely things, Yin Kaishan saw that the topic was almost unfolded, and finally said: "I think that this Taiyuan was originally the fief of the ancient Tang Kingdom of the Western Zhou Dynasty, and Lord Li is the Tang Guogong of the current dynasty, and it is really auspicious to come here to guard the old land of the ancient Tang Dynasty." ”

Li Yuan's face changed slightly, although he knew that the slaves and maids were not by his side, he still lowered his voice and said: "Brother Kaishan, you and I are not outside, you and I will talk about this, my brother feels your heart very much, but don't say it to others." ”

Yin Kaishan said with a smile: "When this is the case, Tang Guogong can rest assured that Kaishan will never talk nonsense." ”

Tang Guogong was originally a fictitious title of the Sui Dynasty, Yin Kaishan said that Tang Guogong guarded the land of Tang Guo, which was very auspicious, which was far-fetched, but the inner meaning was somewhat rebellious. Li Yuan was frightened on the surface, but in fact, his heart was also full of joy, secretly thinking that he had finally come to the end of his suffering, if these people all thought like this and came to join him, he should be able to seek his own place in the troubled times.

This Yin Kaishan Li Yuan is actually not familiar with it, but he had contacts when he was in Chang'an, and now as the county magistrate of Taigu County, Taigu is not far from Taiyuan.

Yin Kaishan's family originated in Changping, Chen County, Henan, and the Yin family of Changping County, and in the Southern Dynasty, the ancestors were also considered prominent families in the north. However, when the Northern and Southern Dynasties were in turmoil, the Yin family went to Jiangnan again, and they can be regarded as cultural celebrities of the Chinese nationality in Jiangnan. Later, when the Northern Zhou Dynasty destroyed Qi, they moved these celebrities into Guanzhong and lived in Chang'an, which can be regarded as wanting to integrate the northern and southern cultures and eliminate local hostility. Li Yuan met Yin Kaishan in Chang'an at that time, but they were unwilling to do anything to each other at the beginning, and Li Yuan didn't expect that the Great Sui would be chaotic, so he didn't take Yin Kaishan to heart, and even when Taiyuan stayed behind, he was thinking about suppressing bandits and accumulating strength, and winning over capable people, but he didn't think of this person, and what he wanted to visit Yin Kaishan was nothing more than buying people's hearts.

However, when Yin Kaishan visited, after some chat, Li Yuan found that Yin Kaishan had a clear mind and was not weak in learning, after all, this person was a child of the Chinese nationality, and he might not necessarily be able to fight, but it was quite useful to govern the country.

When the two were talking about the tacit understanding, the subordinate hurried in and said in a low voice: "Lord Li, the holy decree has arrived." ”

**

When Li Yuan heard that the holy decree was coming, he was shocked, he almost jumped up, and hurriedly apologized to Yin Kaishan, put his shoes on right, and his clothes were just right. He deliberately wore reverse shoes and was untidy, just to show Yin Kaishan his eagerness to seek talent, but knowing that he was going to receive the order, he was told to the emperor, and he was charged with disrespect, and he could be beheaded.

Fang Cai was still secretly happy, but at this moment he was frightened, I don't know that the Holy Lord has gone south, why did the Holy Decree suddenly arrive at the border, do you want to drive with you? Thinking of this, Li Yuan secretly complained to himself, and his face was a little heavy.

When he came out to greet him, the Tongshi Sheren knew Li Yuan, unfolded the holy decree and said: "I heard that Li Jing ......"

Li Yuan coughed, and the general asked puzzledly, "What did Master Li command?" ”

Li Yuan frowned secretly, and said with a smile: "The lower official is called Li Yuan, and Li Jing is a county prince of Mayi, and he is not in Taiyuan now." ”

"I know this, but the holy decree is written in this way, and I want to read it to Master Li......" Tongshi Sheren was a little embarrassed, "Otherwise, I'll go back and ask the saint?" ”

When Li Yuan heard Li Jing's name, he originally thought that there was a mistake in the affairs of the people, but when he heard this, he could only say: "The lower officials don't dare, since the saint wants to read it to the old minister, there must be a holy truth." He saw that the Tongshi Sheren did not seem to be affectionate to him, and vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

"I heard that Li Jing sat in the border pass, blocked the Turkic soldiers from going south, and made great achievements, coupled with the meritorious service of Yanmen County, he was specially appointed as the deputy of Taiyuan to stay behind, and he was crowned with the title of Yinqing Guanglu Doctor, and he chose Taiyuan to take office, and assisted Li Yuan to fight against the Turks, and I hope that Li Yuan and Li Jing will work together to resist the Turks and exterminate the bandits, and I hope that Li Yuan and Li Jing will work together to resist the Turks and exterminate the bandits, and I hope that Li Yuan and Li Jing will work together to resist the Turks and exterminate the bandits, and I hope that Li Yuan and Li Jing will work together to resist the Turks and exterminate the bandits, and I hope that Li Yuan and Li Jing will work together to resist the Turks and exterminate the bandits, and I hope that Li Yuan and Li Jing will work together to resist the Turks and exterminate the bandits, and I hope that Li Yuan and Li Jing will work together to resist the Turks and exterminate the bandits, and I hope that

Li Yuan's heart was 'groaning', and he said respectfully: "The old minister accepts the order." ”

Yin Kaishan had already walked out of the inner hall, frowning and said: "Lord Li, the saint doesn't know what his intentions are this time, didn't this Taiyuan deputy stay still have Wang Wei?" ”

There were two deputy guards in Taiyuan, Gao Junya was beheaded by Xiao Buyi, but Wang Wei was still there, and now there is another one, and some people are superficial.

Li Yuan didn't wait for an answer, and the subordinate hurried to arrive, "Master Li, Li Jing is here to visit." Li Yuan secretly had a headache, but he didn't expect Li Jing to arrive like a fate, and said urgently: "Hurry up and greet you." ”

This time, Li Yuan took out the door, saw Li Jing standing there, and showed enthusiasm, "It turned out that Lord Li arrived, the old man was old, and the holy decree said that Lord Li would come over to help, but I didn't expect it to arrive soon, and it was a long way to go." ”

Although Li Jing was his deputy, Li Yuan did not dare to slack off. Li Jing squeezed out a smile, "I also received the holy decree yesterday, and I came to report on the starry night, and I asked Lord Li for forgiveness for my sins." ”

The two of them shouted one by one, regardless of each other, but they were secretly wary. Li Jing caught a glimpse of Yin Kaishan and said in surprise: "Is this the Duke of Taigu County?" ”

Yin Kaishan was quite surprised, "How can the staff recognize me?" ”

Li Jing said with a smile: "When I was in Chang'an, I admired Duke Yin's literary brilliance, and I once saw Duke Yin, but at that time, Duke Yin was afraid that there was only Master Li in his eyes, so he turned a blind eye to me. ”

Yin Kaishan's old face was a little red, "Wailang, no, it should be said that Master Li is smiling." The old man is old and can't remember many things. ”

Li Jing still smiled, "That Duke Yin is old and forgot that he was originally the commander of Taigu County, so he ignored the people of a county?" I don't know what Yin Gong is doing here? ”

Li Jing's words were scorching, and as soon as he changed his normal state, Yin Kaishan was speechless, and he couldn't understand why a deputy left-behind seemed to be much stronger than a left-behind guard.

Li Yuan thought in his heart, Li Jing was originally calm, but now he became his deputy, such a posture, is it ...... Although according to Li Yuan's reliable information, Xiao Buyi has died in the world, Li Jing has no background. But Li Jing was not only not implicated, but was promoted, and there is a big mystery in this. Li Yuan was serious, and immediately thought that Li Jing had a secret order to come to spy on him, and he couldn't help but panic.

"Lord Li has wronged the Yin County Order, in fact, I am busy with affairs, and I didn't have time to consult Taigu about it, so I sent someone to find the Yin County Order to understand the situation. Besides, Yin County Ling and I are also old acquaintances, and they are also considered to be old, so Master Li must not mind. ”

Li Yuan felt that he was a bag, but he had to do so. Li Jing smiled hesitantly, "Lord Li is really serious, I am your deputy, how can I mind what my lord does, today Li Jing came to report, I don't know what Lord Li can command?" ”

Li Yuan said with a smile: "The deputy stayed behind before arriving in Taiyuan, and it is good to rest for a few days. ”

Li Jiancheng soon arrived, and Li Yuan instructed: "Jiancheng, now that Lord Li is the deputy of Taiyuan, you should quickly arrange a place for Lord Li to stay, and you must not be lazy." ”

Li Jiancheng obeyed the order and left, and Li Jing arched his hand, and he was not polite.

When the two of them disappeared, Yin Kaishan stomped his feet hatefully, "Master Li, what kind of system is this, you are the main job, he is just a deputy, how can he be so rude to you?" It's just that a loyal person like Master Li doesn't care, if it was an old man, he would have been reprimanded a long time ago. ”

Li Yuan felt more comfortable in his heart, "Brother Kaishan, this is all a trivial matter, as long as you are fine." There are still many things in Taiyuan now, and I can't receive ......."

Yin Kaishan heard the strings and knew the elegance, felt sorry for Li Yuan, and comforted Li Yuan a few words, and said goodbye.

**

Li Yuan returned to the inner hall and walked around, pondering the intention of the imperial court to let Li Jing come here, and was anxious.

A person suddenly came in from outside the hall and said loudly, "Dad, what good news do you think I brought you?" ”

Li Yuan looked up and saw that it was his son Li Shimin, seeing that he was full of joy, his heart was irritable, and he asked casually, "What good news?" Suddenly thinking of something, Li Yuan lifted his spirits a little, "Have you found the Kanto Horse Dealer Exhibition?" ”

He has been worrying about this matter, and now that the people's hearts are fluctuating, the waves are surging, Li Yuan doesn't want to be an emperor yet, but he has to consider the way back, and he must first strengthen his strength. Now that there is a shortage of war horses, he has been asking Li Shimin to find this way, but so far, there is still little success.

Li Shimin was a little proud, and didn't notice his father's sad face, "I didn't find the Kanto horse dealer." ”

Li Yuan was stunned, "Then what are you happy about?" ”

"Even if we can't find the Kanto horse dealers, there are others who will send them to the door." Li Shimin smiled: "Dad, do you remember that Jinyang Ling Liu Wenjing?" ”

Li Yuan frowned and said, "It's the one who often drinks and gambles with Pei Lian, what do you mention him for?" ”

Li Shimin said mysteriously: "Dad, don't underestimate that Liu Wenjing, I just knew that he knew Shibi Khan, and when I was looking for Pei Lin a few days ago, he was also there." When he saw that I was on my mind, he casually guessed that I was worried about the horses, and said that if I wanted to, he could buy horses for us from the Turks. In this case, won't we have an endless supply of horses, and what are we going to do with Kanto horse dealers? ”

Li Yuan was awe-inspiring, "He is not related to us, why should he help us?" ”

Li Shimin sighed and said: "Dad, it's not okay for you to be afraid of wolves and tigers like this, no matter what you say now, you are also left behind in Taiyuan, and how many people have to rely on you." Even if the old man Yin Kaishan just now came to praise you, Liu Wenjing probably wants to take advantage of the position, we are mutually beneficial, and the opportunity cannot be missed. ”

Li Yuan hesitated for a long time and shook his head resolutely, "Not now." ”

Li Shimin was stunned, "Why?" ”

Before his words fell, Li Jiancheng had already rushed into the inner hall, frowning and saying, "Dad, Li Jing's arrival is very bad for us. ”

"What's the disadvantage?" Li Shimin asked puzzled, and when he knew everything, he was also a little dazed, and suddenly scolded: "This faint gentleman sent Li Jing over, obviously to put on small shoes for his father." ”

Li Yuan covered his mouth and said in horror: "Shimin, what nonsense are you talking about? Looking around, Li Yuan's face was full of panic.

Li Jiancheng said in a low voice: "Dad, before I came in, I let all the subordinates avoid it, it's okay." ”

Only then did Li Yuan let go of his hand and sat on the bed weakly, "Shimin, if you can be half as stable as your eldest brother, I won't be so careless." The matter of buying a horse is put aside for the time being, a Wang Wei will let us be cautious, and now there is a shrewd Li Jing, we will not let Li Jing grasp any handle from now on, if he is allowed to join us, all his efforts will be in vain. Shimin, don't have any more dealings with Liu Wenjing. ”

Li Shimin said 'oh', very dissatisfied, but it was not good to say anything.

Li Yuan sighed again: "Who would have thought that Xiao Buyi would become a prisoner of the imperial court, Shimin, you have always encouraged your sister to marry Xiao Buyi, but fortunately it didn't work out, otherwise we are afraid that we will also be implicated." ”

Li Shimin was dissatisfied: "It seems that you didn't object to your father at the beginning? Seeing Li Yuan's old face flushed, Li Shimin sighed, "Actually, I think my sister didn't marry him, and it was your and my failure." ”

Li Yuan's beard pouted, "What nonsense are you kidding, your sister is really going to marry Xiao Buyi, and now your kid is still blowing nonsense here?" ”

Li Shimin shook his head and said: "Dad, Xiao Buyi is not simple, I heard that General Zhang personally did not catch him, Xiao Buyi will be able to become the best official within two years, this time he escaped with his surname, maybe he will become famous immediately and become the overlord of the righteous army, and he will ...... when the time comes."

"Forget it, forget it, don't mention this matter again." Li Yuan waved his hand irritably and said, "Xiao Buyi will not have anything to do with us anymore. ”

"Dad, don't mention this matter, will you go and meet someone?" Li Shimin frowned.

"Who?"

"You always say that you lack fierce generals in your hands, I recently contacted you with Chang'an hero Shi Wanbao, and now he has arrived in Taiyuan. This person has excellent martial arts, and in my opinion, he is not under Liu Hongji. ”

Li Yuan waved his hand, "Everything is slow, Li Jing has come to Taiyuan, we are not suitable to have too close relationships with these reckless people." Shimin, you first find an excuse to settle Shi Wanbao. Completed, you pay attention to Li Jing's movements, if there is any trouble, report to me immediately. ”

The second son promised, Li Yuan sighed lightly, and muttered: "Why are people so tired when they are alive?" ”

**

When Li Yuan felt very tired, Dou Zhong felt annoyed.

Dou Zhong is the county guard of Yiyang County, not far from Xiangyang County, just separated by a water. After the Han River, it is Xiangyang. Ping said that Dou Zhong was a good passer, but recently, bandits were rampant, which made him very upset. But this did not prevent him from continuing to sell his official position to make money.

Emperor Tiangao of Yiyang County is far away, and now the saint has gone to Jiangnan again, according to Dou Zhong's idea, he will make a full fortune before the world is completely chaotic, and then seek a way back.

Now there are not many bandits who can still hold Yiyang, but if it continues to develop at the current speed, Yiyang doesn't know when it will be broken, for him, it is good to live one day at a time.

Right now, he is waiting for someone, and the captain Xu Xuan said that someone wants to buy a captain for ten taels of gold, and he is waiting for that person to send it to the door now.

When Xu Xuan arrived with the young man, Dou Zhong felt that the man was a little familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere, his eyebrows were like knives, and his expression was calm.

Lazy to think about it, Dou Zhong asked lazily, "Did you bring the gold?" ”

The young man smiled, showed his white teeth, and said softly: "Dou Taishou, I didn't bring the gold, I actually want to borrow something from you." ”

Dou Zhong was furious, Huo Ran stood up, and scolded Xu Xuan: "What do you do, this kind of person also brings me to see me." Seeing that Xu Xuan was silent, Dou Zhong's heart was awe-struck, he turned his head to look at the young man, his eyes suddenly showed a strange color, and he said in a trembling voice: "What do you want to borrow?" ”

The young man laughed, "I want to borrow a soldier." ”

(To be continued)