There were many officials in the central tent, and when they saw Li Xu entering the door, everyone turned their heads sideways in unison. Scrutiny, suspicion, and even contemptuous gaze are very uncomfortable, and in front of everyone's eyes, Li Xu can't help but feel that his mouth is a little dry, and his heart is beating wildly. Fortunately, on the way here, the palace guards had carefully told him all the etiquette when he met the emperor on the face of Brother Kong Fang, and Xu Zi finished the ceremony of the military general, and then stood solemnly, waiting for His Majesty's question.

"I heard that when the army was defeated last year, you led 300 soldiers to kill back and forth in Liaodong, but is there such a thing?" His Majesty's voice came from the front, sounding very anxious.

Li Xu didn't know why the emperor remembered his exploits last year at this time, hesitated for a moment, and decided to answer truthfully: "Your Majesty, last year's action to rescue people in Liaodong was assigned by Lord Li Yuan, Duke of Tang, and led by Lord Liu Hongji, the general of Yingyanglang. The last general was just a lieutenant under General Liu at that time, and he didn't actually make any contributions! ”

"I didn't make any credit, so I shouldn't have rewarded you?" His Majesty the Emperor seemed to be on fire, and his tone of voice was very critical.

"The last general will not dare!" Li Xu was so frightened that he gave another military salute and replied loudly.

"Oh, can you kill in and out of the army of ten thousand horses, do you dare not do anything?" The voice in front of him was a little calmer, and he asked with a smile.

"The last general is facing the enemy, and it is useless to be afraid, so he is not afraid. But, but at this moment, this moment is ......" Li Xu began to stutter when he heard his voice, and he also heard the whispers of the officials. He knew that he was making a fool of himself again, and he wanted to pinch himself hard, but he could only try to cheer up and suppress the tension in his heart when His Majesty the Great Sui Emperor was still in front of him.

"Is it my heavenly might that scares you? Lift up your head and take a closer look at what I am terrible! Seeing that the sweat on Li Xu's forehead was already beginning to roll down, the voice on the imperial case became softer and softer, and he ordered in a somewhat joking tone.

"The last general, the last general!" Li Xu turned his heart sideways, raised his head vigorously and looked forward. "It's a blessing or a curse, it's a curse that can't be avoided!" He muttered silently in his heart, his gaze met in the air with the gaze of the middle-aged man behind the imperial case, and then lowered it again and landed on the other party's face.

His Majesty the Emperor's face was a little pale, and his body was visibly thin. Even if he was wearing gorgeous brocade armor at the moment, he couldn't hide the weakness of his shoulders. The arm under his shoulders was a little weak, his fists clenched weakly, and several blue-black veins were about to jump out from under the pale skin one by one. (Note 1) "His Majesty the Emperor is old!" Li Xu almost said this greeting with pity. This is not His Majesty the Great Sui Emperor who pointed at Liaodong last year and was high-spirited. The unexpected defeat last year hit His Majesty the Emperor hard, and even drained most of his self-confidence from his body at once.

"Does I seem to scare you? General Lee?" Yang Guang looked up and down at the youngest Lang general among the civilian-born generals of the Great Sui Dynasty, and asked with a smile.

"The minister is not afraid, the minister is shocked by His Majesty's heavenly might!" Li Xu looked at Yang Guang and replied in a low voice. When he turned his heart down, his mind became much clearer. The sycophant words in the allusion also naturally rolled out of the mouth.

Even if there is no fear, it must be said that there is three points of fear at this moment. It was recorded in the history books that when the Zhong brothers saw the lord, one "sweated like pulp" and the other "sweated out of the mouth" and replied ingeniously. Although the emperor in front of him is not the emperor of the Jin Dynasty, the emperor's preferences should be similar throughout the ages.

"Well, you're good!" Yang Guang let out a "hmm" in his nose, and was quite satisfied with Li Xu's answer. Since ascending to the throne, he has met many low-level officials, military generals, and the sons and nephews of hundreds of officials. Those people either bowed their heads as soon as they entered the door, and they were so frightened that they didn't even dare to go out; Or deliberately pretend to be a big grin and fearless appearance, and behave rudely. A young man like Li Xu who has a sincere fear on his mouth, but who can stand up straight, is the first time Yang Guang has encountered him after so many years in power.

The curiosity in his heart made Yang Guang's words begin to increase unconsciously, and after discussing whether his face was vicious, the sage emperor added with a smile: "You don't have to be modest, I remember everyone's merits and losses." I know everyone's mistakes. I've heard people say that at the moment of life and death, you go back again and again to save your robe, but is there such a thing? ”

"Your Majesty, the last general just couldn't bear to watch his comrades die in battle!" Li Xu's answer was crisp and neat. He suddenly discovered that His Majesty the Emperor was not as restless as the legend suggested, at least so far, His Majesty the Emperor standing in front of him was not much different from an ordinary middle-aged official.

"If all the generals under my command were like you last year, my 300,000 elites would not have been wiped out in Liaodong!" Yang Guang smiled bitterly and shook his head, not knowing whether he was dissatisfied with the general's behavior of leaving his subordinates to escape alone, or feeling sorry for the lives of the 300,000 old soldiers who were cut off and tired of the tower.

Hearing this, the sweat that had just fallen on Li Xu's head popped up again. "The last general, the last general was just brute at that time, brute hair! I don't know how to advance or retreat, I don't know the general situation! Even if he regarded himself as high, he didn't dare to step on the heads of all the other generals, so he had to explain without words.

"I wish my Great Sui soldiers had more of this brutism!" Yang Guangyi threw his sleeves and roared.

"Your Majesty, the ministers are guilty!" The other civil and military officers in the big tent bowed down to the emperor at the same time. Some people lowered their heads in shame, but some glanced at Li Xu with resentful eyes.

"Where's the wild boy! There are still people who praise him for his general knowledge! Imperial Doctor Pei Yun scolded in his heart. Today, the man in the tent is said to be his own Huangmen squire Pei Ju personally recommended to the emperor, Pei Ju has always had the name of a knowledgeable person, this time I am afraid that he really looked away.

Just when the hundred officials were slandering in their hearts, an order from His Majesty the Emperor came after the imperial case: "Forget it, I said that this matter will not be investigated, what crime do you still sue." General Li, the newly issued map of Liaodong issued by the Ministry of War is said to have been drawn by you, is this really true? ”

"Yes, Chen, Chen did scribble a map of Liaodong according to the description of a nearby hunter, and it was not completed when the army went east last year, so he didn't dare to take it out and show it. Later, this map was requisitioned by General Xue Shixiong, and where he went later, the minister did not know! Li Xu thought about it and replied cautiously. With the lesson just now, this time he didn't dare to take the credit for drawing the map for himself. Although the map issued by the army this year is indeed the one he drew last year, he doesn't want His Majesty the Emperor to say again, "If my Great Sui generals are like you......" Yunyun. Jiamian's words, His Majesty the Emperor said that it is estimated that he will soon forget it, but in case any of the other court bigwigs are more serious, he will have to walk around without eating.

Note 1: Cotton armor: The military uniform of the Sui and Tang dynasties was light and gorgeous, and the protective effect was very poor, and it was only used as a military general's ceremonial dress.

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