Xuzi came from a humble background, and the biggest official he had ever seen before joining the army was just a helper in the yamen. Even at this time, in his eyes, those wealthy families were insurmountable existences like the gods in the sky. But Yang Guang looked down at the angle of the ministers, in his eyes, whether it was the prince and noble, or the grass people and small officials, they were all his people, even if they were different, the difference was not very big. Therefore, at this moment, it is impossible for the two monarchs and ministers to have a clear heart, on the contrary, the more afraid one is of hearing something, the more the other wants to say something.

"You have a heart, cough, it's a pity that the princess of the Manchu Dynasty ......" Yang Guang shook his head again and again in front of countless civil and military officials.

"Your Majesty, if there is no concerted effort by the ministers of the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of War, I am afraid that Weichen alone will not be able to draw such a detailed map of Liaodong!" Li Xu was so embarrassed that his neck turned purple, and he didn't wait for the adults to open his mouth to plead guilty, and took the lead in speaking.

"Oh!" Yang Guang's eyebrows raised high. Looking at Li Xu's red face, which was about to drip blood, and then at the expressionless civil and military ministers on the left and right sides, after a while, he finally understood the young man's difficulty, "Whose merit is theirs, although the merits of the civil and military officials are much greater than yours, they are all elsewhere, not on this map!" ”

Sighing, he added, "Last time, I didn't estimate the situation in Liaodong enough, so everyone was not well prepared. If I am guilty, why should I blame others? I am very pleased that you can raise the prestige of my Great Sui when you are defeated. This year, I presented this map again, and I ...... "Yang Guang looked at Li Xu, and his heart was full of good feelings for the young man in front of him. He wanted to give the young man another official position, but after thinking about it, it had been less than two months since the other party was promoted to Lang Jiang, and if he was promoted again, someone among the ministers would definitely stop him. He smiled and said, "I will give you another hundred refining treasure sword to help you fight the divine power on the battlefield, and then make meritorious contributions to my killing of the enemy!" ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty, Longen!" Li Xu took half a step back, bowed, arched his hands and eyebrows, and then stood solemnly. The Imperial Treasure Knife may not be as easy to use as his black knife, nor may it really have the essence of refinement, but no matter how much it is changed, no one will really use the Imperial Treasure Knife to cut off the enemy's head. This thing represents a kind of respect in the Great Sui Army, representing that the military merits were recognized by the emperor and remembered in his heart. Those who hold this knife have a much higher chance of being promoted in the future than other colleagues.

If Li Xu first entered the military tent, most of the eyes that everyone looked at him were contemptuous. At this point, there was a lot of discrepancy in these contemptuous gazes. Some began to consider whether the young man in the account could be used by their own family, and others began to consider whether their position was about to be threatened. There are so many positions in the court, and the wealthy families in the world are not fixed, and the rise of new military elites often means squeezing out the interests of others. This is an eternal pattern that cannot be changed by human beings.

When there is no conflict of interest, everyone can be friends. What about conflicts of interest? Do you want to nip in the bud those forces that may grow up?

In the complicated eyes of everyone, the inner court guards held a hundred refining swords. His Majesty the Great Sui Emperor took it with his own hands and hung it on Li Xu's waist. "Do it hard, I'm optimistic about you!" At the moment when Li Xu bowed down again to thank him, Yang Guang grabbed his shoulders and said kindly like an elder in the family.

"Minister, the last general will go to the soup and the fire, and he will never give up!" Li Xu heard that the tone of his voice had completely changed. He couldn't suppress the excitement that came from within. The history books he read before told him that the most fearful thing about being a military general is that he is not appreciated by the king. But God is so kind to himself, when he was just seventeen years old, he met a great emperor with discerning eyes.

"I look forward to your return!" Yang Guang smiled and whispered. The moment his gaze left Xuzi's body, a layer of floating clouds suddenly rolled over his face, which quickly faded away, leaving no trace. "Does your armor seem to be very good?" His Majesty the Emperor asked with a smile.

"It's a congratulatory gift from Tang Gong to the last general!" Li Xu's heart was still soaked in his blood, and he replied unguardedly.

"Good armor, if my guess is correct, this is a nail leaf made of Western Regions iron, lined with rhinoceros skin, right?" The smile on Yang Guang's face became thicker and thicker, as thick as a cloud of rain.

"The last general doesn't know, the last general has never, never bought armor!" Li Xu lowered his head and looked at the black and blue light nail leaves on his body, and replied with some embarrassment. This armor was given by Tang Duke Li Yuan after the banquet, because the color matched the black wind very well, so Li Xu always liked to wear it on his body when he fought. Today, the palace guards suddenly came to summon him, and the time was in a hurry, and he didn't have time to change his robes, so he had to wear armor to meet the driver.

Listening to Li Xu's words, Yang Guang was slightly stunned, and the smile on his face immediately turned into curiosity. "You haven't bought armor, didn't you bring your own military uniform before joining the army?"

According to the practice of the Great Sui, the children of the good family should prepare their own horses and weapons when they join the army. However, many rich families often buy a good armor at a high price, and although they are uniformly distributed in the army, the quality may not be as strong as the one they bought, and they may not have the fit they bought when they wear it. And Li Xu had never bought armor, and his family's poverty back then was indeed beyond the imagination of His Majesty the Emperor.

"No, not prepared. The last general, the last general bought a horse with all the money at the beginning! Li Xu said very embarrassedly. He can't say that he is poor, otherwise it will be tantamount to accusing His Majesty the Emperor of not caring for the people, so that the strong men who are about to go to the battlefield can't even afford armor. He can't even admit that he ran away from the fortress in order to evade military service, otherwise he will be charged with bullying the king, and he will not be able to cut off his head enough. Therefore, he had to use the word buy a horse to prevaricate, and his face that had not lied was more vivid than a thief who had been caught by the wrist.

"I forgot about you going to sell horses outside the Saiwai!" Yang Guang said suddenly with a sense of enlightenment.

The two of them chattered endlessly, half on official business and half on private matters, and the civil and military officials were a little embarrassed. Everyone, you look at me, I look at you, I don't understand how His Majesty the Emperor, who has been bored recently, is in a better mood all of a sudden. Today, someone suggested that His Majesty the Emperor summon Li Xu in order to consult him about the geography of Liaodong. Seeing that half an hour had passed, His Majesty the Emperor's conversation had not yet turned to the war.

"I heard that you are of the same clan as Tang Gong? But not before? Yang Guang thought about it and asked again.

Today's questioning was all casual, without any order to follow, which made Li Xu, a newcomer to officialdom, bitter. Each question is carefully thought out so that it is not answered incorrectly. But the answer to every question asked by FEIKU is not always satisfactory to everyone. At this moment, when he heard His Majesty the Emperor ask about his relationship with Li Yuan again, Li Xu pondered for a moment and replied in a low voice: "According to the seniority, Tang Gong is indeed the uncle of the last general. But at the end of the day, he joined the army, but he was recommended by General Liu Hongji, but he didn't expect to recognize his uncle in Huaiyuan Town! ”

This is already the best answer that Xuzi can think of. After experiencing the post-mortem summary of the last Q&A, he now knows the reason why Yang Guang doesn't like Li Yuan. Through the tone of Yang Guang's words just now, he could also hear the expectation in His Majesty the Emperor's question, but Tang Gong was not kind to him, so Xu Zi really couldn't follow His Majesty the Emperor's wishes and completely separate himself from Li Yuan's family.

This answer made the face of the Manchu Dynasty change color again. Whether you like Xuzi or not, everyone can't help but shout 'pity' in their hearts at the same time. The young man in front of him was too stubborn, knowing that a big tree was about to fall, but he still refused to let go. But that's fine, everyone won't have to work hard to exclude him in the future. Based on his answer today, he will not be able to get another chance to be promoted in a short period of time.

"I know, after all, your surname is Li!" Yang Guang smiled again, and he couldn't help but feel a little excited in his heart. Of course, he couldn't reveal his true thoughts in front of his courtiers, so he turned around and walked towards the imperial case, and asked in a low voice as he walked: "I remember telling you that after coming to Liaodong, I will review your troops and horses. Now, the heroic fruit camp can be worthy of a battle? ”

"Your Majesty, the heroic Xiaoguo Battalion is willing to fight to the death for Your Majesty!" Li Xu replied loudly, went around in circles, and avoided Yang Guang's questioning.

The Xiongwu Xiaoguo Battalion has only been trained for less than two months, and it is okay to fool people by putting on a show, and if it is really taken out to attack the city, the result will not be better than several other Xiaoguo Battalions. But at this time, the situation no longer allowed him to retreat, no matter whether there was an abyss or a sea of swords and fires in front of him, he had to rush forward with his head in his hands.

In addition to being apprehensive, Xu Zi secretly thought to himself in his heart, how to persuade the emperor to send a few more troops and horses to feint from other positions, so that the resistance he would encounter along the way would be smaller, and the casualties would not be so heavy.

"How is the combat effectiveness of the Xiaoguo compared to the eight hundred heroes who went to Liaodong with you last year?" Yang Guang's thinking is like a flying immortal out of the sky, so that Li Xu will never be able to keep up with him.

"Your Majesty, the officers and men of the grain protection army who went to Liaodong last year have all been trained for about a year." Li Xu secretly glanced at His Majesty the Emperor's face, not knowing if this answer disappointed His Majesty the Emperor.

Yang Guang shook his head, the expression on his face was unfazed. Li Xu's answer was within his expectations, after more than a month of siege warfare, he had clearly realized that the combat effectiveness of the soldiers and horses under his command was far inferior to that of last year's group of veterans. Thinking about the elite soldiers of Zuo Wu, Zuo Yi and Zuotun who he had reviewed last year, and thinking about the late old general Mai Tiezhu and General Xin Shixiong, he didn't feel mixed in his heart, sighed, and asked tentatively: "If I order you to lead your soldiers to Maqishui again, can you go?" ”

"Why not! The last general is willing to go" Li Xu straightened up and replied loudly. He didn't know why His Majesty the Emperor sighed, but with the affection of the other party who personally tied the sword to him just now, Xuzi also had to reciprocate. Moreover, at this time, the enemy army on the east bank of Maqishui was almost wiped out by the soldiers and horses of the Great Sui, and apart from being careful when passing through a few isolated cities, there would hardly encounter any other obstacles along the way.

The civil and military officials suddenly became lively and stepped forward one after another to admonish Yang Guang. It is said that the soldiers are fierce and dangerous, and there are those who do not conform to the way of employing soldiers by sending a new cutting-edge who has no good reputation to take on heavy responsibilities. Please take the army to go, and only ask Li Xu to be the guide, but no one supports Li Xu's desire to lead the troops and horses alone.

From everyone's gossip, Xuzi slowly heard some clues. I don't know what the reason is, the soldiers and horses of the Great Sui plan to evacuate Liaodong, but the nearly 300,000 troops under General Yuwenshu are already preparing to cross the Maqishui, so someone must go to meet them at the moment to ensure that the back roads and grain routes of the Eastern Expeditionary Army are not blocked by the Goguryeo people. At present, several famous generals are out of the war, and the imperial court cannot send a particularly suitable candidate for leadership. And no one is more familiar with the geography of Liaodong than Li Xu and Liu Hongji.

"I don't know which blind 'Bole' recommended me?" Li Xu frowned and looked around. This is not a perfect good errand, last year I went to save people, but as a result, General Wei Wensheng burned the pontoon bridge, so that more than 3,000 brothers who had broken through the siege died in front of the door of the Great Sui. This time, I went to the rescue again, maybe when the army came to the Liao River, the long-awaited pontoon bridge was demolished again. Therefore, he was also anxious not to fight for this credit, standing in place and quietly waiting for everyone to discuss the results.

"Okay, okay, I know that everyone's advice is for the country!" Yang Guang's arm pressed down, stopping everyone's discussion, his eyes turned to Li Xu, and he continued to ask: "Since Zhong Xiaoguo is not trained enough, why are you still willing to go to Liaodong to make contributions?" Aren't you afraid that if you can't complete your mission, you will be condemned by me? ”

"Or let me go?" Li Xu paused for a moment, feeling a little happy to be taken care of, and also a little worried about the future. Looking at Yang Guang's expectant gaze, he groaned a little and replied loudly: "Your Majesty asked about Xiaoguo's training, and the minister naturally wanted to tell the truth. But the Goguryeo people in a few lonely cities along the way don't know the truth about our army, they have been beaten down by the old general Yuwenshu, how dare they go out of the city again to offend our Great Sui army! ”

This answer was something that many civilians and military people here did not expect, and everyone's eyes suddenly sharpened, and there was no lack of appreciation.

"Do you want more soldiers?" Yang Guang nodded and asked with a smile. Originally, the purpose of his call to Li Xu today was only to inquire about the geography of Liaodong, but when he saw the young man's honest and calm demeanor, he suddenly suddenly wanted to give him the task of leading reinforcements. It can be said that in addition to not forgetting Tang Gong's kindness, which did not satisfy him, the young man in front of him showed his sharpness in all other aspects made him very appreciative.

What's wrong with my youth, I was only sixteen years old when I first led the army. What's wrong with being from a humble background, General Mai Lao and General Luo Yi are both from a humble background, but the two of them are braver than anyone else. Yang Guang, who was slightly disappointed with the Chinese martial arts of the DPRK, did not want to listen to the clichés of the hundred officials, and the Sui Dynasty needed to inject some fresh blood, otherwise the upper and lower levels would always be so lifeless.

Li Xu knew that he would definitely not be able to escape, and he was also going to take risks, rather than being a guide for others, it was better to lead the troops himself. After thinking about it carefully, he replied: "Since I am going to pick up the withdrawal of the old general Yuwenshu, there are too many people, but it is difficult to replenish the baggage." The last general only hopes that His Majesty will promise the last general two things, and the last general will live up to the trust of the saint! ”

"Say, I'll do my best to make you worry-free!" Yang Guang's face turned gloomy, and he solemnly promised. It was he, His Majesty the Emperor, who ordered the pontoon bridge to be burned last year, if Li Xu proposed not to burn the pontoon bridge before he returned, wouldn't it be too embarrassing for himself!

"The last general thanks Your Majesty for your grace." Li Xu saluted again, "First, the last general asks Your Majesty to continue to send people to attack Liaodong City, so that the Goguryeo monarchs and ministers will not feel that our army has the intention of evacuating!" Second, the last general hopes that His Majesty will allow me to let go and not be bound by morality! Li Xu looked around at everyone and said his request loudly.

Before he knew it, the restraint and cringe in him were gone, replaced by the vigor of the young man.

"Number one, I'm right. This is the second one? But why? Yang Guang hesitated slightly and asked. Maybe it's because he thinks of the eventful years when he was young, or maybe it's because he is used to seeing the old and serious ministers and needs fresh feelings, he appreciates the youthfulness and heroism of the newborn calf that is not afraid of tigers exuded by Li Xu's body at present.

"Last year, the last general set fire to all the wheat fields along the way!" Li Xu gritted his teeth and responded. He remembered the group of robes who died on the banks of the Liao River, and since he was going to Maqishui, he might as well take revenge on the Goguryeo people again. "There are many Goguryeo mountains on the south bank of Maqishui, but there are few flat lands. Food is all supplied from the north. The end will be burned once last year, again this year, and next spring, see what these people eat! ”

"What a ruthless young man!" Counselor Pei Yun thought in surprise. He and his colleagues often have to find a moral reason for killing people in ordinary times. And this young man launched a ruthless attack, and he didn't say anything about morality at all. Seeing the young man gritting his teeth, a chill suddenly surged in his heart.

If he hadn't provoked himself, would he have been guilty of dealing with him? At the same moment, many people began to hesitate.

"Hooray, this is a must-have. With this plan, the Goguryeo people will starve to death countless times. "The internal history waiter Yu Shiji came out to play. glanced back at Li Xu and asked loudly, "Young man, what is the crime of hundreds of thousands of living beings in Goguryeo?" You're going to do this? ”

"Goguryeo beings are innocent!" Li Xu bowed and replied very politely. "But last year, the 300,000 soldiers who were built into pagodas and city walls in Dasui are also living beings!"

He didn't want to offend Yu Shiji, one of the most powerful ministers in the court, and he didn't want to be criticized by civil officials and later historians. But no matter who stops him from avenging Paoze, he will not hesitate to fight back.

This revenge will be avenged, this is the promise that Xuzi made in his heart to the heroic souls who stayed on the east coast after escaping from the birth heaven that day.

As a promise, eternal life will not change.

[Remember the URL . 三五Chinese网]