On the official road south of Taiyuan City, dozens of cavalry escorted Li Yuan all the way to the north, Li Yuan wore a golden helmet, wearing a golden chain mail, wearing a war sword at his waist, quite majestic, the golden helmet and gold armor are the relics of Li Yuan's grandfather Li Hu, and they have been pressed at the bottom of the box, until recently he turned it out and hung it himself.

In the past half a month, Li Yuan's mentality has changed greatly, mainly after the extermination of Wudu'er, he got 20,000 elite soldiers, not long ago, the eldest son Jiancheng led 20,000 troops to withdraw to Changping County, so that he had 40,000 troops in his hands, he had confidence in his heart, and he was no longer afraid to do things, and he went to Jiexiu County every other day to check the training of 20,000 troops.

Less than ten miles away from Taiyuan City, a group of more than 100 cavalry rushed forward, and at the front was a young general, who was Li Yuan's second son, Li Shimin.

"Father!"

Li Shimin saw his father in gold armor from afar, and hurriedly waved and shouted.

Li Yuan reined in his war horse and asked with a smile, "Shimin, why are you here?" ”

Li Shimin ran to his father, wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a smile: "The child feels that his father has too few guards and is not very relieved, so he rushed to protect him." ”

"Is the second brother laughing at me for not having high martial arts?" Behind Li Yuan, Li Xuanba muttered sullenly.

"Little San, your second brother is kind-hearted, and he didn't say that you can't do it."

Li Yuan turned around and comforted his son, he didn't like his third son in the past, but since Xuanba practiced peerless martial arts and became the world's number one fierce general, he completely changed his prejudice against Xuanba and began to like him.

Li Shimin stepped forward and patted his brother's shoulder and said with a smile: "Of course, one or two thieves and third brothers don't have to take it to heart, but if a thousand soldiers attack, you can only protect yourself, and if there is one more cavalry by my father's side, there will be more protection, understand?" ”

Li Xuanba pursed his lips. "Anyway, you're the second brother, everything you say is right."

Li Shimin deliberately sank his face, "Stinky boy, do you say it again?" ”

Li Xuanba was most afraid of the second brother, he lowered his head and didn't dare to be verbose anymore.

At this time, Li Shimin whispered to his father again: "I just got the news." The samurai family has sent 20,000 stone of grain to Changping County. ”

Li Yuan's heart suddenly fell to the ground, this is his most worrying thing, since the eldest son Jiancheng led the army into Changping County, the lack of food has become the biggest problem, Li Yuan does not want Li Jiancheng to use official food, and he does not want him to set troops to loot the people, at this time, Si Kai joined the army and the warrior Tong proposed that he could let his father Wu Hua come forward to buy grain. Unexpectedly, Wu Hua raised 20,000 stone of military rations in just ten days and solved the problem of military rations.

"It's so good, but I guess the martial family advanced the money first, and quickly returned the money to the martial family, and the people have already made a big effort, so don't let the family break the money anymore."

"Father don't worry, the son has already instructed him, but please ask my father to tell Uncle Wu Shi. Otherwise, the martial arts family will not accept this money. ”

Li Yuan secretly praised the second son for being meticulous and thoughtful. He smiled and nodded, "I'll tell him about it." ”

The father and son talked and laughed, and returned to Taiyuan City after a short time, and just arrived at the gate of the city, suddenly someone shouted: "Li Gong go slowly!" ”

I saw a person running towards Li Yuan, and Li Xuanba's eyes were quick. grabbed the comer, he was furious in his heart, and he reached out to tear the person in half, Li Shimin hurriedly shouted: "Third brother, let go, he is not an assassin!" ”

Li Xuanba hesitated. Slowly put down this person, only to see that this person's face was pale with fright, and he was so trembling that he couldn't stand up, Li Yuan frowned, he had never seen this person.

"The people know him?" Li Yuan asked.

"The boy doesn't know him, but he calls people first, and he doesn't have a weapon in his hand, so he shouldn't be an assassin."

Li Yuan nodded, his son made sense, he urged him to step forward and asked, "Who are you, what is the matter with me?" ”

"The villain is a member of the Pei family, and he was ordered to deliver a letter to Gong Li."

Li Yuan's heart moved, and he asked in a low voice, "Is it Wenxi Pei's Mansion?" ”

"Exactly, it's a message."

Li Yuan immediately understood that it must be Pei Ju who sent him a letter, and he ordered: "Take him to the mansion!" ”

Li Yuan went back to the house to change his clothes, sat in the study and drank tea slowly, at this time, the guards brought the person who reported the news from the Pei family up, the messenger knelt down and kowtowed, took out a jasper toad from his arms and presented it to Li Yuan, "Qi Gong Li, this is a token." ”

Li Yuan took the jade toad and recognized it at a glance, this was the paperweight jade toad he gave to Pei Ju, it seemed that his guess was good, and sure enough, Pei Ju had important news for himself.

"You're from Jiangdu?" Li Yuan asked.

"Exactly, the villain brought a message to Duke Li on the order of Duke Pei."

"What message?"

"The southeast is very urgent, there will be thunderstorms in Taiyuan soon, and I hope that Li Gongmo will take the muddy water road."

"Is that what it is?"

The Courier nodded, "Nothing else." ”

Li Yuan immediately ordered: "Take him down and reward him with fifty taels of gold!" ”

"Thank you Gong Li for the reward!" The messenger bowed and went down.

At this time, Li Shimin, who was standing aside, said nervously: "The Son of Heaven is going to do something to his father." ”

Li Yuan glanced at him, "Tell me your understanding." ”

"Father, in fact, the meaning is very simple, the southeast refers to Jiangdu, Fengyun refers to the conspiracy of the Son of Heaven, the Taiyuan thunderstorm is the Taiyuan mutiny, and the muddy water road refers to the case of Li Hun being killed."

Li Yuan took a sip of tea, bowed his head and pondered silently, Li Shimin saw that his father did not react, and said anxiously: "Father, it must be Wang Wei and Gao Junya who secretly reported the matter of 20,000 troops, and they must have received a secret order to attack their father." ”

At this moment, the housekeeper hurriedly came to the hall, bowed down and said, "Master, Wang Juncheng sent someone to send an invitation!" ”

The corners of Li Yuan's mouth showed a sneer, he came in time, he had just returned home, Wang Wei's invitation came, I don't know how long he waited?

"Where's the person who sent the invitation?"

"Back to the master, the person has already gone back, leaving only the invitation."

"Give me the invitation."

The housekeeper hurriedly walked up to the hall and presented the invitation to Li Yuan, Li Yuan looked at it and smiled at Li Shimin: "He said that his father had his seventieth birthday, and asked me to go to his house for a birthday banquet tomorrow night." ”

"Then will my father go tomorrow?"

"Did you think I'd go?"

Li Yuan sneered, "I'm going to Lishi County to inspect military affairs, and I'm going to leave overnight tonight." ”

After a pause, Li Yuan instructed Li Shimin again: "Give the gift for me, no matter what, you have to save face." ”

Li Shimin didn't say anything for a long time, Li Yuan sensed his abnormality, glanced at him and asked, "What's the matter?" ”

"Since the faint king has already made a move, why does my father still want to avoid it?" Li Shimin asked slowly.

"What are you talking about?"

Li Yuan glared at Li Shimin angrily and said, "You dare to call the Son of Heaven a faint monarch, you are so bold!" ”

Li Shimin knelt down, "Father, the child feels that the time is ripe, don't delay it any longer, let's raise troops!" ”

"You know!"

Li Yuan pointed out angrily, "Get out of here, get out!" ”

"Father"

Without waiting for Li Shimin to continue, Li Yuan slapped him hard and beat Li Shimin to the ground, Li Yuan yelled: "Get out of here!" ”

In desperation, Li Shimin had to stand up with tears in his eyes and walked out quickly.

Looking at his son's back and walking away, Li Yuanyu was still angry, and kicked the table, not so much that he was angry with Li Shimin, but that he was angry with the embarrassing situation in front of him, he was not ready, and the crisis was quietly coming.

Li Shimin was iron-hearted, he walked out of the mansion gate, and immediately turned around and went to Jinyang Palace, he knew that someone could persuade his father,

Jinyang Palace is the most important palace of Emperor Yang Guang of Sui in Bingzhou, last year Yang Guang toured Taiyuan in the north, he lived in Jinyang Palace, Jinyang Palace still has more than 100 palace maids and more than 20 eunuchs, in addition, because Emperor Sui was in distress in Mayi, the army of the King of Qin gathered in Taiyuan, Luoyang also mobilized a large number of armor grain and grass hoarding in Taiyuan, after Yang Guang withdrew to Luoyang, these armor grain and grass did not follow back, still stored in the warehouse city of Jinyang Palace, there are more than 200,000 stones of grain and 100,000 pairs of armor, of which there are nearly 50,000 pairs of Mingguang armor alone.

The palace supervisor of Jinyang Palace is not in Taiyuan, but in Jiangdu, at present, Jinyang Palace is in charge of Pei Lian, the deputy palace supervisor, Pei Lin has been secretly supporting Li Yuan, among Li Yuan's sons, he especially admires Li Shimin, and often praises Li Shimin as a prodigy, born handsome, so Pei Lin and Li Shimin's friendship is also the deepest.

Pei Lin is about forty years old, born in Puzhou Sangquan Pei, Sangquan Pei is a partial branch of Wenxi Pei's family, although Pei Lin and Pei Ju are the same as the west family room of Pei in Hedong, but because the branch time is too long, Pei Lin has little to do with Pei Ju, they have their own family owners, have their own ancestral halls, and the sacrifices are not together.

At noon, Pei Lin had just eaten lunch and was about to take a nap, this was Pei Lian's habit that he couldn't move, he just lay down, and an entourage reported outside the door, "Envoy, the second son of the Li family has something urgent to see." ”

"I'm a little tired from letting him come back in the afternoon."

"He said that there are 100,000 urgent matters, and he must see the envoy."

Pei Lin was helpless, so he had to get up and say, "Let him in!" ”

Li Shimin also knew his napping habits, but he came to him at this time, Pei Lin knew in his heart that something big must have happened. (To be continued.) )