Zhao Mengqi not only had to welcome Li Zengbo, but also gave a banquet on behalf of Lao Zhao.

On the way to Yanwang's Mansion, Li Zengbo looked out of the car window attentively.

As far as the eye can see, it is a very different scene from the memory, everything is so thriving, full of vigor and vitality, and the faces of passers-by are also full of excitement and longing.

It's just a little more than a year that such earth-shaking changes can take place here, and King Yan is really talented!

In fact, what he saw and heard when passing by Pingjiang had already amazed Li Zengbo, but at this time, he had to marvel at King Yan's talent again.

Li Zengbo came from a well-known family, his grandfather was the prodigal prime minister Li Bangyan, and his father was a civilian official, but most of the time he was in charge of military duties.

As a young man, he followed his father to various frontier places, and stayed in the southwest, especially Sichuan, for the longest time, until he was thirty-one years old, and his father left Sichuan after his father's death.

During this period, he worked as a staff member for the Sichuan envoy for four or five years, and accumulated a lot of experience in military and political affairs.

When he was thirty-three years old, he officially entered the government and served as the magistrate of Xiangyang County, Xiangyang Prefecture, which was still a front-line area.

The person he admired the most was Xin Qiji, who took him as a role model in life and aspired to a heroic career, so he pursued meritorious deeds, led the army to resist the Mongol invasion for a long time, and became the pillar of the Song Dynasty.

Whenever the mountains and rivers are turbulent and the border is in danger, he is proactive and strives to defend his family and country, but the reality often makes him feel powerless and even helpless.

He is 9 out of 50 this year, and his perennial career as a commander has made him more and more sober about the situation in the country, and the mentality of the whole country is in peace, which makes him more and more disheartened about the future of the world, and his declining spirit is getting worse.

However, when he witnessed the various changes brought about by King Yan, especially after seeing King Yan himself, his already dead heart seemed to be rippling again.

Perhaps, there is hope for the future......

Li Zengbo was full of thoughts, Li Xi was already resentful in his heart, and couldn't help but speak, "Daddy, why did you gently let go of the traitor king just now, even if you can't really hurt him, you should let him lose face and be laughed at by thousands of people!" ”

Li Zengbo was awakened, but he didn't expect his daughter to be entangled in personal enmity, and he looked at her for a long time, until her expression began to panic.

"Why are you so stupid? It seems that Tianyi's self-seeking character is also what you are used to as a mother! Ay...... It is also my father's fault that he is so focused on state affairs that he neglects to educate you. ”

As he spoke, Li Zengbo's face rose with guilt, and then he was worried that his daughter would not be enlightened and do something stupid, so he patiently explained it to her.

"What is King Yan's methods, you have already understood, I don't need to say more, but this is not the most important thing, the key is his heart! You also saw his actions just now, he is not afraid of the blade, regardless of life and death, such a character is the most terrifying, you will never know how crazy he can be. ”

Li Xi disagreed, "He's just sure that you don't dare to really hurt him, it's just acting." ”

"Heh, sure!? Rationally speaking, I really wouldn't dare hurt him, but what if? People's behavior is not always rational control, take 10,000 steps back, dare to verify their speculation with life and death, and it is by no means something that ordinary people can do, for example, everyone believes that tiger poison does not eat children, but if I, the father, put a knife in front of your daughter's neck, will you be afraid? ”

“…… No, not afraid. Li Xi's eyes flickered.

Li Zengbo shook his head and smiled, "You will be afraid, but King Yan is really not afraid at all, my eyes, I will never be mistaken, such a person has unparalleled self-confidence and perseverance, even if it is an ordinary person, either he will be beaten to death with a stick, or he should not be provoked at will, otherwise he will only usher in endless death, not to mention, he is also the future master of the Great Song Dynasty, and a word can make the blood flow thousands of miles." ”

"He gives me respect, not because I am bound by rules, nor is it moral etiquette, because I am still useful to the community and useful to him."

"As a father, I advise you again, put out the hatred as soon as possible, if the Xu family still has resentment, you should still reconcile, if not, my Li family has to cut off any relationship with you, understand?"

Hearing his father's words so ruthlessly, Li Xi's brain was buzzing, and he was so depressed that he couldn't say half a word anymore.

Yanwang's Mansion is not far from the dock, and he arrived while talking.

A sumptuous but not extravagant feast had already been prepared, and Li Zengbo's family members had a banquet in the main hall, but he himself and King Yan came to a lakeside pavilion.

There was only one Qiu Yue who accompanied him, "Eldest son, you and I haven't seen each other for many years, so I must get drunk today." ”

The two old men are very familiar with each other, and they have fought together many times, and they can be regarded as friends of life and death.

After a few glasses of spirits, the two chatted about some past wars, and they were all embarrassed.

Li Zengbo was very emotional, "The years are not forgiving, we are all old in a blink of an eye, I should also retire like Brother Shanfu, return to the old Linquan, and tease my grandson." ”

At first, Zhao Mengqi didn't talk much, just smiled and accompanied the wine, but laughed when he heard this.

"Haha, Li Xiang, I'm afraid you're a little insincere......"

Li Zengbo's face sank, and he said angrily, "How can the old minister be insincere?" ”

"I remember that Li Xiang wrote ten years ago, 'Pray for the morning and send it back to the field', and until now, I haven't seen you really retreat." Zhao Mengqi laughed.

Li Zengbo smiled angrily, "What does Your Highness mean by this, is it saying that the old minister is greedy for power?" ”

Zhao Mengqi hurriedly waved his hand, "No, no, Li Xiang misunderstood, I mean, you may be really tired in your heart, tired of your career, but if the country is in danger, you always take the world as your own responsibility, repeatedly shoulder the burden, and never spare your life for the country. ”

"I didn't expect His Highness to have such a high opinion of the old minister." Li Zengbo calmly accepted this sycophant, but lowered his head and sighed, "It's a pity that the old minister is really powerless now, this world is a responsibility, and he can't carry it if he wants to, not to mention the misfortune of the family, the scum who has caused disaster to the country and the people, where do you dare to lick your face and say anything to protect the family and defend the country......"

This old man is my army.

Zhao Mengqi rolled his eyes in his heart, and he didn't want to go around in circles, "I think, Li Xiang wants to be a leader this time, there should be another reason, your grandson's matter is just an excuse, right?" ”

"Oh... What do you think is the real reason, Your Highness? Li Zengbo pretended not to think so, in fact, he wanted to know what kind of opinion King Yan would have.

"It's nothing more than that Li is becoming more and more disappointed with the current situation," Zhao Mengqi shrugged and continued, "Li Xiang has actually always wanted to change the situation in which we were passively beaten, hoping to be more proactive in cracking the invasion of foreign enemies, and even hoping that our dynasty can rise up, no longer limited to defense, but take the initiative to attack and restore the Central Plains." ”

Li Zengbo was stunned, he didn't expect King Yan to really guess the thoughts hidden in his heart.

He has always had this idea, but because he knows the specific situation of the country and knows that this idea is too inappropriate, he has never expressed it, but has just worked silently and tried his best to buy time and space for the change of the country.

But over the decades, the country's situation has become more and more depressed, making him more and more desperate, otherwise how could he, a mature commander of important ministers, give up his ambitions because of a grandson.

"Your Highness...... How do you know? ”

"Guess." Zhao Mengqi smiled, eased the atmosphere, and said, "Actually, Li Xiang's surprise attack on Dali plan proposed last year, I personally think it is still feasible, but it's a pity that you were tied up by a group of short-sighted rats, and the plan was aborted, I think, Li Xiang should be very unwilling in his heart." ”

"I am indeed unwilling!" Li Zengbo didn't hide it, and even looked a little indignant, "Those people, who only know how to stay in a corner, want to keep their own one-third of an acre, they have no overall situation in their eyes, they are selfish, but their mouths are high-sounding, as long as they don't conform to their ideas, they will attack wantonly." ”

"Now the Mongols mediate with me to the belly back, to my territory to form a two-sided attack, and Sichuan is even a three-sided attack, once the Mongols find a breakthrough point, cut off the connection between Sichuan and Jingxiang, then even if there is terrain to rely on in Shu, after being surrounded, there is no court backing, it will fall sooner or later, once Sichuan falls, Jingxiang will not be guaranteed, and the time when our dynasty will be overturned!"

"Originally, the Mongols conquered Dali not long ago, but they did not gain a firm foothold, and the Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan returned north with most of his forces, and the Mongolian army left in Dali was not more than 10,000, which was a good time to break the attack and stay in Dali."

"The terrain of Dali is like Shudi, and it is not conducive to cavalry, the biggest advantage of the Mongolian army is weakened, as long as our army uses rich experience in mountain warfare, plus the remnants of Dali, as well as Wumeng, Lü Xu, Ayong and other barbarians, even if it cannot eliminate the Mongolian army, it can also make the Dali Mongolian army exhausted, and there is no time to invade the territory of our dynasty, which can be regarded as a disguised solution to the threat of the Mongols from both sides."

"It's a pity that those gentry and guards in Shu are brave and incompetent, saying that they use troops outside the territory, but they are putting the cart before the horse, go to the mother's cart before the horse, they know the end of a fart, and the court only wants the place to be quiet, and does not want to do much, and actually agrees with their fallacy......"

"If the best opportunity is missed now, even if the imperial court changes its course and agrees to use troops in Dali, I am afraid it will be difficult to have substantial gains."

Maybe it was because he drank wine, Li Zengbo took advantage of the words mentioned by King Yan to vent the depression that had accumulated in his heart for a long time, and after speaking, he picked up the wine jug and poured it directly into his mouth, as if he wanted to extinguish the anger in his heart.

Qiu Yue hurriedly snatched the wine jug down, "Eldest child, you still called yourself old just now, what's the matter, are you in a hurry to go to the lying board!?" ”

It's good to be angry in your heart, I'm afraid that you are really dead.

Zhao Mengqi smiled secretly, "Ahem, Li Xiang's words, I still don't agree a little!" ”

"Hmm!" Li Zengbo's eyes widened angrily, his eyes were red, and sparks splashed everywhere, "What does Your Highness mean by this, do you also think that the old minister is whimsical and unrealistic!?" ”

"No, no, no! Don't worry, Li Xiang, you are like this, as if you want to eat people. ”

Zhao Mengqi also teased, with a look of underbeating, which made Li Zengbo's teeth itch, "If His Royal Highness can't give the old minister an explanation today, don't blame the old minister... Old minister......"

I really couldn't think of any effective threats, and I was stuck.

Fortunately, Zhao Mengqi explained in time, "I mean, in fact, it's not too late, according to my estimate, the all-out attack of the Mongols is still in preparation, and it should take two or three years......

It took half an hour to think about Li Zengbo and explain his thoughts, "So please Li Xiang sit in Jingnan and Guangxi again, I will try to give you the greatest support in terms of money and grain policy, and after half a year, I can send a division of the Eastern Guard Army as a mobile force in Li Xiang's hands." ”

Li Zengbo was very excited, "Your Highness is true in what you said!?" ”

"Seriously! It's more real than pearls! ”