Li Shimin woke up quietly, and the first thing he saw was his mother Dou who was sitting on the edge of the bed holding his hand. Her face was very bad, and there was a fine bead of sweat on her forehead. And her hand was held so tightly, still trembling slightly but quickly, and I don't know why, after Li Shimin opened his eyes, he suddenly felt that his mother was ten years old.

Naturally, he was not really unconscious, and when he was in his room, he sat cross-legged in a chair and teased the big snake with thick arms, wrapping the snake around his arm and looking thoughtfully at the blood-red letter that kept spitting out. After sitting at the window for half an hour, just when he was a little bored, he finally saw his mother Dou walking into the courtyard through the gap in the window.

He smiled, and then wrapped the half-dead snake around himself, which had been ravaged, and he gestured a few times, still feeling better lying on the ground.

So, there was a scene where Dou was so frightened that he fell.

Lang Zhong in the house had already come to see it, and when he treated Li Shimin, Lang Zhong confirmed that the snake was not poisonous, and the second son fell into a coma, perhaps because he was frightened. The explanation given by Lang Zhong was very reasonable, and Li Shimin, who pretended to be unconscious, nodded in his heart when he heard it.

He said that anyone, even the bravest man in the world, would be frightened and panicked when he suddenly found himself entangled in a large snake while he was asleep. However, the second son's coma was not necessarily frightened by the snake, perhaps because he saw his wife fall, and he was anxious, plus he was frightened before and fainted.

Lang Zhong said that the second son's physique is excellent, and the snake is not poisonous, so there is no need to worry too much. The second son should recover after a few days of bed rest.

Hearing these words, Mrs. Dou relieved her heart a little.

At this time, Li Shimin woke up.

"Mother, you're alright."

Li Shimin turned over and sat up from the bed, took Dou's hand and looked at it carefully: "You fell, did you ask Lang Zhong to come and see it?" ”

Dou's nose was sour, and the hand holding Li Shimin trembled even more.

"I'm fine, Lang Zhong has already checked the pulse, Shimin, you scared me, how could there be such a big snake in the house?"

Dou asked with palpitations.

Li Shimin shook his head and said, "The child doesn't know, he is tired of hurrying, so he fell asleep on the bed." Suddenly, I felt that something was wrong with my body, and when I opened my eyes, the snake was already wrapped around me. ”

He suddenly smiled and said, "Mother, I was really shocked at the time, but I thought I was dreaming. When the child was in his hometown in Longxi Didao, he often dreamed at night that he would be haunted by big snakes. I thought it was a dream again, but then the snake bit me on the arm, and I realized it wasn't a dream. ”

"My poor child."

Dou's tears poured out all of a sudden, and he took Li Shimin into his arms and cried bitterly.

Li Shimin was hugged by Dou and hugged very tightly. He closed his eyes, enjoying the warm embrace of his mother for the first time since he could remember. He smelled the smell of his mother's body, felt the temperature of his mother's body, and he thought in his heart that it was so close and comfortable to be hugged by his mother. So he enjoyed it and had a lot of fun. As Dou's tears wet his cheeks, the corners of his mouth hooked up with a satisfied smile.

meanwhile

In the room of the eldest prince Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji walked back and forth anxiously and frightened, and suddenly took Li Jiancheng's hand and said eagerly: "Big brother, you have to help me no matter what this time." ”

"I knew it was you!"

Li Jiancheng sighed, shook off Li Yuanji's hand and said slightly angrily: "Yuanji, you are not young anymore, how can you do such a childish and ridiculous thing?" How sad would my mother be if she found out? If I let my father know......"

"Don't!"

Li Yuanji pulled Li Jiancheng's arm and begged: "Big brother, you have taken the most care of me since I was a child, and you have to help me again this time, I really just want to scare him, who knew that he would be so stupid and would be bitten by a snake?" Who would have thought that his mother would go to him at that time, big brother, please...... As long as you help me, as long as you don't say it, my mother will not guess that I sent someone to secretly put the snake into Li Shimin's room. I can't let my father know, big brother...... I don't want to take my father's staff, he'll kill me. ”

"Alas......"

Seeing that Li Yuanji was really pitiful, Li Jiancheng sighed and said, "If you don't want people to know, you can't do it unless you do." Even if I can help you hide it for a while, if the people want to pursue it, sooner or later you will be involved. In this way, I will go back to find out the tone of the people, and he is kind, and he will not forgive you. ”

"No, never."

Li Yuanji cried and begged: "Big brother...... Or is the love between our brothers thicker, isn't it? So, as long as you don't say it, the yard is also an old house, and it's not strange that there is a snake in the old house, right? Big brother, just help me this time, I promise never to do such a stupid thing again in the future. ”

"You promise?"

Li Jiancheng looked at Li Yuanji and asked seriously.

"I promise!"

Li Yuanji thought about it, gritted his teeth and said: "If I try to harm Li Shimin again, I will die in his hands sooner or later!" ”

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Li Jiancheng panicked for no reason, looked at Li Yuanji and said, "The four of us brothers, that kind of thing will never happen, you have to remember." ”

……

……

"You're going to Yanmen Pass?"

Dou Shi was taken aback, looked at Li Shimin and said incredulously: "You have just returned home, and you are weak now, how can you go to that dangerous place again?" Your father said that this time the Turks were menacing, gathering six or seven hundred thousand troops, which is probably the strongest offensive of the Turks since the founding of our Great Sui Dynasty. Besides, His Majesty is still trapped in Yanmen Pass, how can the Turks easily give up this opportunity? ”

Dou Shi persuaded a little anxiously: "Even if you are in a hurry to see your father, it will take a while." ”

"Mother"

Li Shimin looked at Dou Shi and said solemnly: "I want to see my father, this is one of the reasons why I want to go to Yanmen Pass." There is another reason...... I spent fifteen years in my hometown of Didao, Longxi, and I studied hard every time, just to help my father one day, and a good boy galloped on the battlefield. I have not been able to help my father in any way all these years, and I feel deeply guilty. The eldest brother has taken charge of himself and will govern Taiyuan in an orderly manner. It was Yuanji, who also followed his father to Huaiyuan, Liaoxi, to fight against the Goguryeo people. ”

"Mother, the thought that I had helped my father in nothing filled my heart with guilt, I beg you, promise me. The child practices martial arts hard every day in Longxi, and my mother can rest assured that nothing will happen to me. ”

"You kid......"

Dou wiped a handful of tears and said: "Such filial piety makes me feel even more uncomfortable." ”

Li Shimin hurriedly persuaded: "Mother, don't say that, as the son of the Li family, I happened to come back and encounter this incident, how can I escape?" ”

"You go and discuss it with Jiancheng, the affairs of the family are now in charge, if he refuses to let you go, you are not allowed to insist."

"Thank you, Mother!"

Li Shimin said with a smile: "I'm going to find the eldest brother." ”

He was just about to go out, and it happened that Li Jiancheng arrived.

"Mother, I have personally checked that no one has entered his room when Shimin was not in the courtyard. The serpent may have fallen from the roof of the house, but it frightened the people. ”

"It's good that someone didn't do it on purpose."

The Dou family knew that the eldest son Li Jiancheng was the most loyal and would never lie to himself, so he didn't doubt his words at all: "It just so happens that Shimin wants to go to you to discuss a big matter, and you can also give him an idea." But...... I disapprove of that. ”

Li Shimin hurriedly said his thoughts, Li Jiancheng frowned slightly, thought carefully for a while and said, "Mother, I think Shimin should go for a trip." He had lived alone in the old mansion for fifteen years, and he should have gone out to see the world. Our sons of the Li family, it's good to see the solemnity of the battlefield. Moreover, if Shimin rushes to Yanmen Pass, my father may be very happy, and it will be a good thing for Shimin......"

He looked at Dou Shi and said seriously: "Does Shimin still have any merit, if he can make some contributions in Yanmen Pass, he will naturally be known by His Majesty, and this is an opportunity for Shimin." Again...... I will arrange for a competent family to protect the people and not let him slip up anything. Didn't my father ask Brother Hongji to pick up the people, I think Brother Hongji can lead the army to Yanmen Pass with the people, and with Brother Hongji's caution, the people will not have an accident. ”

"Since you say the same......"

Dou hesitated for a moment and said, "Shimin, then you can go, it's just ...... Be careful in everything. ”

"Thank you, Mother! Thank you, big brother! ”

Li Shimin said with a smile.

Li Jiancheng instructed: "I won't stop you when you go to Yanmen Pass, but there is one thing you must promise me." Don't be reckless in everything, in military affairs, listen to Brother Hongji's guidance, he has been in battle for a long time, and his experience against the enemy is far from being comparable to you and me, understand? ”

"I remember!"

Li Shimin said with a smile, a trace of brilliance in his eyes flashed. He was only happy, but he didn't notice that Li Jiancheng's eyes were also a little strange, but no one could understand the meaning.

……

……

Li Jiancheng transferred 1,000 cavalry from the Taiyuan garrison, and invited Liu Hongji to discuss, and personally sent Li Shimin and others out of Taiyuan City after making preparations. Li Shimin desperately wanted to go to Yanmen Pass, which made Liu Hongji respect him even more. It is not easy for a young man who has lived alone for 15 years to have this filial piety and courage.

A thousand light horsemen rode out of Taiyuan City, Liu Hongji advised Li Shimin not to be too anxious, after all, it is not very far from Yanmen Pass, if the road is too hurried and the horsepower soldiers are tired, they will not be able to participate in the battle there. Li Shimin naturally agreed, and asked a lot about things on the battlefield very seriously.

After the team left Taiyuan City, they walked for a while, and then rested in a small town.

Li Shimin and Liu Hongji got off their horses and walked into the town while talking. The people didn't know where this team came from, and they all hid in their houses in panic and did not dare to come out. Therefore, the only person on the street is particularly abrupt. The man sat on the side of the road, holding a cloth banner in his left hand and a brass bell in his right hand.

As soon as the bell rang, the man cleared his throat and said, "I know for thousands of years, and only teach those who are destined." ”

These two sentences are somewhat inconsistent, and they are not the same as ordinary hexagram masters.

Li Shimin saw that the man was about thirty years old, with a gentle face, and he was not wearing a Taoist robe, but a Confucian shirt. So although this person looks quite chic, he is just a little nondescript.

"Do you know how many thousand years you have?"

Li Shimin smiled and quipped: "You first tell me where I'm going, and I'll reward you if I'm right." ”

Na Sheng smiled and said: "The general naturally went to Yanmen Pass, and he doesn't need to count this, so he won't charge you money." ”

"Oh?"

Li Shimin suddenly became interested, and asked with a smile: "Then you calculate, is it dangerous for me to go to Yanmen Pass?" ”

Na Sheng smiled and said: "There is naturally danger, it just depends on whether the general will meet someone who is destined to guide the general to turn evil into good fortune." ”

Liu Hongji smiled and said: "Second son, let's go, why listen to his nonsense." ”

Li Shimin waved his hand and chuckled: "It's boring anyway, let him talk about it." ”

He turned his head and asked Nasheng, "Tell me, where is my destined person?" ”

Na Sheng put away his smile and said solemnly: "Far away in the sky, close in front of you." ”