At the end of the first month.

Just after the Spring Festival, Li Congyan received an edict from Emperor Li Siyuan.

Emperor Li Siyuan was very happy to learn that Li Zanhua led his troops to vote, and immediately issued an edict to give Li Zanhua the name Li Zanhua, and named him the Huaihua Jiedu Envoy, Rui, Shen and other state observation envoys, and the subordinates he led were also given names.

Li Zanhua, who should be Li Zanhua, received the edict forwarded by Li Congyan at this time, and was so excited that he burst into tears, and shouted long live thanks with his subordinates.

Later, Li Congyan set up a meal in the Assassin's Mansion and sat down with Li Zanhua to drink.

"What are Nikoyo's plans to go to Luoyang this time?"

Accepting the reward of Emperor Li Siyuan, Li Zanhua naturally wanted to lead his troops to Luoyang to face Sheng's thanks. As for the canonized Huaihua Festival envoy and other positions, that is, a name and rank, as for whether Li Zanhua needs to go to Huaihua to take office, it depends on the mood of Emperor Li Siyuan.

Li Zanhua thought for a moment and said tentatively: "I don't know much about the situation in Datang, so I don't have any specific plans for a while. I wonder if Li Tingshi can solve my doubts? ”

"Naturally."

So Li Congyan explained the current situation in the court, and specifically mentioned the three-way brawl between Li Congke, An Chongxue, and Li Conghou, as well as the stalemate of the war between the two rivers.

After listening, Li Zanhua's face was a little bad, he didn't expect the situation in Luoyang to be so complicated, several princes, and powerful ministers in the court, this situation will lead to a big disaster if he is not careful, it seems that he should be more cautious after arriving in Luoyang.

"I don't know if Li Tingshi has any suggestions to listen to me?"

Li Congyan said: "If you suggest, I think it's possible, Zanhua still don't stay in Luoyang City." ”

Li Zanhua was slightly stunned when he heard this, and then he laughed loudly, and said with his crossed hands: "Li Thorn Shi is really high, I thank you here first!" ”

In fact, Li Congyan still has his own selfish motives in suggesting this.

If Li Zanhua stays in Luoyang, he will not have any real power at all, at best, he will be just a "mascot" on the façade. Such a Li Zanhua can't bring any benefits to Li Congyan, at most, he secretly provides some information, and there is no substantial help.

And Li Zanhua is different when he is sent to a place, at least it is a local festival envoy, so Li Zanhua has the right to soldier, no matter where he is canonized, it can also bring substantial benefits to Li Congyan, and once something happens, he can be a horn with Li Congyan.

The two continued to drink and talk, and unconsciously shifted the topic to military affairs.

Li Zanhua praised: "The soldiers and horses under the command of Li Tingshi are really elite, even if such a good soldier is placed in the Khitan, it is definitely the existence of the leather room army!" ”

Li Congyan naturally knew that this was complimenting himself, although the new army was strictly trained, and its combat effectiveness was indeed much higher than that of the ordinary knots, but compared with the leather room army that had survived a hundred battles and been tempered for thousands of years, it was definitely far inferior, at least the actual combat experience could not be compared, and Li Congyan still knew that Li Congyan still had it.

So Li Congyan humbly said a few words and said: "This time I praise the return of the south, I don't know how the Khitan lord will react?" ”

Li Zanhua shook his head when he heard this, a trace of resentment flashed in his eyes, and said: "This time, the Khitan Kingdom will kill me, even my mother will kill me, in their eyes there is only authority, only the glory of the Khitan Lord, as for the rest, you can throw it away, including my life!" ”

Li Congyan is very clear about this history, in fact, the throne of Khitan should have been Li Zanhua's, but because his mother Shu Luping liked the second son Yelu Deguang, the mother and son teamed up to usurp the throne and demoted the eldest son Li Zanhua to the human emperor of the Dongdan Kingdom.

But even so, Shu Luping and Yelu Deguang were still not at ease, worried that Li Zanhua would make a comeback, so this time the mother and son directly wanted to kill Li Zanhua, which also directly led Li Zanhua to lead his troops to flee.

Li Congyan is also very familiar with Nashu Luping, this old lady is a ruthless person. At the time of Yelu Abaoji's death, according to Khitan tradition, Shu Luping should have committed suicide by burial. But Shu Luping claimed that he wanted to assist his two children to stabilize the Khitan, and at the same time he couldn't let his husband leave alone, so in front of all the Khitan nobles, he pulled out a knife and cut off his arm, and buried his husband with a broken arm!

At this time, Li Congyan looked at Li Zanhua who looked lonely, and was very sympathetic in his heart, it would not be easy to be replaced by such a mother and younger brother.

But at this moment, Li Zanhua's right hand was unconsciously raised slightly, and this move was keenly captured by Li Congyan, which is a subconscious action that only people who use knives all year round have, so Li Congyan had a trace of doubt in his heart.

It's just that Li Congyan still has another doubt in his heart: "With such a ruthless mother and a super black-bellied younger brother, how did Li Zanhua be so elegant, erudite and advocating Buddhism?" Or, is there anything else Li Zhanhua can't see, or can't see? ”

Here Li Congyan is still thinking in his heart, and here Li Zanhua continued: "This time I flee south, the Khitan lord will definitely not give up, in my opinion, most of the Khitan lords will send letters of state, and even send troops to threaten the northern border of the Tang Dynasty." I just don't know how the saint will respond, and that's what I'm worried about. ”

Li Congyan said: "Zanda don't worry, since the sage canonized you, he will never bow to the Khitan lord, at least he will not hand over Zanda to the Khitan lord, as for the rest, Zanhua himself needs to fight for it." ”

"I hope so."

This night, Li Congyan and Li Zanhua drank until the second half of the night.

Early the next morning, Li Zanhua and his group packed up and gathered outside the west gate of Dengzhou City, preparing to go to Luoyang to face the saint.

Li Congyan led the first regiment of the birch armor to escort Li Zanhua's troops out of the country, and the two armies marched together from Dengzhou City all the way to the west. Li Congyan and Li Zanhua rode their horses side by side at the forefront of the army, and the two still had nothing to say, while Master Yuanjing and Yelu Donggu rode horses behind, and the two always paid attention to the new army under Li Congyan.

On this day, the army marched seventy miles from morning to night, and when it came to encampment, four hundred Khitan soldiers were exhausted, and after setting up the camp, they began to bury pots and cook in a disorderly manner, and even many Khitan soldiers after eating, directly wrapped in thick clothes and slept under the belly of the horse, and had no intention of setting up tents and setting up tents.

On the other hand, Li Congyan's department, which was camped next to him, although the more than 1,400 soldiers of the first regiment were also very tired, they were far from exhausted. At this time, all the soldiers and soldiers under the command of the captain Chong Birch Jia, each performed their duties and settled the camp, and there was not much noise in the whole camp, everything was so orderly, and an unconventional camp soon rose from the ground.

At this time, Yelu Donggu looked at it for a long time with a solemn face, he was a veteran with troops, and naturally understood what everything in front of him meant, the Tang army in front of him was definitely a strong elite, much stronger than the four hundred soldiers and horses under his command~. In Yelu Donggu's opinion, if the two sides fight with the same strength, the soldiers and horses under his command are destined not to be the opponent of the Tang army in front of him!

And the master of the round mirror is more interested in Li Congyan: "Li Congyan has such a talent, can train such a strong army, and can also feel at ease with a corner of Dengzhou, this kind of person is second to none in terms of talent or character, and in the future, he must advise him to get closer to him, and he must not be an enemy!" ”

After a night of silence, the army continued on its way the next day. At noon, Li Congyan led his troops to escort Li Zanhua's troops to the Dengzhou border.

Li Congyan pointed ahead and said, "At the boundary of Laizhou, the sage has given Zanhua the customs clearance document, and the rest of the way, Zanhua will go by himself." ”

Li Zanhua crossed his hand and said: "Thank you Li Tingshi for your hospitality in the past few days, Li Tingshi's kindness to me, I should remember it in my heart, let's come to Japan for a long time!" ”

"It's a long time coming!"

Li Congyan and Li Zanhua separated at the border, looking at Li Zanhua who was getting farther and farther, Li Congyan stared for a long time.

The birch armor rode his horse and said, "Lord, the soldiers are ready, let's return to Dengzhou City." ”

Li Congyan didn't move, but said, "What do you think of Li Zanhua?" ”

He had seen Li Zanhua a few times, thought about it, and said: "My subordinates think that this person is very elegant and knowledgeable. Of course, if you want to talk about erudition, you must not be as good as the Lord. ”

"Hehe, you've learned to compliment too?"

Then Li Congyan said to herself: "Maybe it's my delusion, I hope it's my feeling wrong." ”

Li Zan Hua in history is a very positive image, and the same is true of Li Zan Hua that Li Congyan has seen in the past few days.

Li Congyan once read in the history books of later generations: Li Zanhua has been smart and studious since he was a child, and he is an all-round talent in civil and military affairs, not only good at riding and archery and strategy, but also has a high level of cultural accomplishment. He once bought 10,000 books from the Central Plains and stored them in the Wanghai Hall on the top of the top of the Yiwu Lu Mountain where he lived in seclusion. Li Zanhua is proficient in yin and yang, music and rhythm, proficient in medicine, the art of touyan, working in Khitan and Chinese articles, and once translated the "Yin Fu Jing". He was also good at painting his own characters, such as "Shooting Horse", "Snow Hunting Horse", and "Thousand Deer Picture", which were later included in the secret mansion of the Song Dynasty. Therefore, Li Zanhua was a bibliophile, an onmyologist, a medical scientist, a musician, a writer, a translator, a sinologist and a painter, and was a learned and talented Confucian.

But after a few days of contact, Li Congyan always felt that Li Zhanhua was a little contrived, which was an indescribable feeling. Li Congyan just feels that Li Zanhua's elegance is very much like a deliberate display, and he should also have an unknown side!

"If my feeling is right, then this Lee Chan-hwa is too terrible!"

On the way back to Dengzhou City, Li Congyan was still thinking about this, but after thinking about it, Li Zanhua was the Khitan royal family after all, and he was the eldest son of a generation of heroes Yelu Abaoji.

Such a person who has been deeply influenced by power and scheming since he was a child can never be too simple, and Li Congyan does not believe that Li Zanhua is a simple person.

Thinking of this, Li Congyan put away his previous closeness to Li Zanhua, and just treated Li Zanhua as an ally with a high probability.

"Lord, look!"

Li Congyan was thinking about these things, and suddenly heard the call of the birch armor, looked up, and saw a fast horse galloping over, and immediately the knight forked his hand and said: "Qi Qi Thorn History, Wu participates in the Thorn History, please return to the Thorn History Mansion as soon as possible!" ”

"What?"

"It has been reported that many businessmen in Muping County have purchased land on a large scale, and many people who have just been allocated land have once again fallen into extreme poverty. A few days ago, a landless family in Muping County froze to death, which aroused the indignation of the local people, and thousands of landless people and poor people began to gather, and Chen Shuo, the county commander of Muping County, was trying his best to maintain! ”

Li Congyan frowned after hearing this, and said coldly: "It seems that someone is impatient again!" ”

"Let's go, go back to Dengzhou City!"