Li Chengqian is a person who does not have many opinions. Fortunately, he is self-aware and knows that he does not have the so-called decisiveness to kill and the spirit of domination, let alone strategizing and winning a thousand miles away, so he listens to others' advice.
Even though I am not as good as Emperor Taizong in all aspects, at least I still have the ability to "accept advice with an open mind" without making too much concessions...
But he doesn't listen to everyone. Only those he recognizes as absolutely loyal and capable can gain his absolute trust.
For example, Fang Jun.
In the words of a knight-errant, he believed that Fang Jun was the kind of loyal and righteous man who could "entrust his wife and sacrifice his son"...
These words also evoked Li Zhi's family affection deep in his heart. Looking back on the past, he felt more and more guilty. He wiped away his tears and choked up: "My brother is guilty. He should not have been so blinded by selfish desires that he committed treason."
What I have done is really worthy of death, and I have no face to face His Majesty."
Li Chengqian took his shoulder and squeezed it, and said with a sigh: "Nine-five Supremes, the most powerful people in the world, how many people can resist this temptation? When there is only one step away from the throne, everyone wants to take a step further...
...There is no need to worry about this kind of human nature. There is no need to hide things between us brothers. Thinking about how my father launched the Xuanwu Gate Revolution back then, how much of it was forced by Li Chengqian and Li Yuanji's aggressive desperation and how much of it was due to the desperation of having no way out.
Coveting for the throne of the emperor of the empire? Now that things have changed, it is just a matter of the past and there is no need to mention it again."
When Pheasant Nu launched an army to rebel, some of it was because he coveted the throne, and some of it was because he was afraid that he would be able to eliminate the threat and eradicate it after he secured the throne? He was unwilling to sit back and wait for death even if he changed places.
Fortunately, the mutiny ended here, his throne was not overthrown, and the pheasant slaves did not die in the rebellion...
Everything was not at an irreversible point, so he was magnanimous and left a ray of love in full brotherhood.
*****
Li Chengqian returned to the Imperial Study Room on the side of Wude Hall, and Wang De stepped forward to report: "I have an audience with Zheng Rentai outside the Hall."
"Jung In Tae?"
Li Chengqian sat down, took a sip of tea, nodded and said, "Let him come in."
"Here."
Wang De took the order and went out, and took Zheng Rentai into the imperial study room in a moment.
"The guilty minister Zheng Rentai has an audience with His Majesty!"
Zheng Rentai knelt down on one knee and performed a great ceremony with the courtesy of a military commander.
Li Chengqian stood behind the book and looked down at Zheng Rentai, silent, until Zheng Rentai felt uneasy and sweat appeared on his forehead, and then he said slowly: "Sit down and sit down and talk."
Zheng Rentai suddenly felt relieved: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After getting up, I put half of my butt on the chair on one side, not daring to sit down fully.
Li Chengqian asked Wang De to serve Zheng Rentai a cup of tea, and asked, "I wonder why Lord Tong'an is here to meet you?"
Zheng Rentai took the tea from Wang De with both hands. Naturally, he did not dare to drink it. He put the tea cup on the eucalyptus table aside and said respectfully: "This time the King of Jin was defeated, the ministers were deceived and almost helped the evildoers."
, later on, although he and Liu Rengui reached an agreement to send troops to Tongguan together, he was actually frightened and begged your majesty to punish him."
Originally, they gathered all the abilities of the Zheng family in Xingyang to form an army to fight with Liu Rengui, and made great achievements all the way to Guanzhong. However, after the King of Jin was captured and the rebels were destroyed, they have been stationed outside Mingde Gate. There was no reward or praise from the court.
Not to mention that the emperor's orders and punishments seemed to have been completely forgotten, which made him feel restless and had trouble sleeping and eating. Even the private soldiers from the clan who came with him to Guanzhong were also unsettled and had various discussions.
The camp outside Xuanwu Gate has begun to dismantle the left and right garrison guards and form the left and right Jinwu guards. Cheng Yaojin is about to lead his Zuowu guards westward out of Guanzhong and rush to Liangzhou. Zheng Rentai really can't sit still. He previously thought about going to the house.
Jun paid a visit to inquire about the court's treatment of him. After thinking about it, he decided to go to the palace to see the emperor himself.
Be it beating or scolding, punishment or punishment, give it a good time...
Li Chengqian took a sip of tea first, and then said: "It is true that you made mistakes, but you know that you can correct them. You stopped at the brink, sent troops to assist the navy in capturing Tongguan, and pursued the rebels all the way. The merits outweighed the faults. Today I am with the military plane
All the ministers discussed together and decided to appoint you as the right-leading general Wei, what do you think?"
Zheng Rentai's heart was burning, he stood up again and knelt down on one knee: "Your Majesty loves me so much, I shall be crushed to pieces and die before you!"
Although the King of Jin had promised him that he would be allowed to establish a kingdom after his accomplishments, but at this point, instead of pursuing his own culpability, His Majesty appointed him as one of the sixteen generals and commanded an army to defend Guanzhong. This was beyond his wildest dreams.
How can you refuse the good thing you hope for?
What kind of kindness is this?
Sure enough, everyone said that Li Chengqian was kind, and the rumors were true.
Li Chengqian waved his hand and said: "I am not as tolerant as you think. The reason why I appointed you as the General of the Right Army Guard is because I have decided to rebuild the Youxiao Guard and will order An Yuanshou to lead the Youxiao Guard to Panhe
Waiting for reorganization, you need to lead the right-wing army guard out of Qilian City, and work with Lu Guogong who is stationed in Liangzhou to restrain him from the east to the west, and be careful to prevent him from setting up troops to cause chaos and bring disaster to the empire. This matter is related to the long-term peace and order of several governors in Ganliang. You
heavy responsibility."
Only then did Zheng Rentai know Li Chengqian's intention.
An Yuanshou led You Xiaowei to leave Liangzhou without the emperor's orders and rushed to Chang'an with the intention of assisting the King of Jin to ascend the throne. However, he was stopped by Cheng Yaojin at Xianyang Bridge. The two sides fought a battle and An Yuanshou had to lead the army.
Retreat and return in vain.
Later, the imperial court did not impose any substantial punishment on him. It could only deprive him of his title of "Dong of Liang" and demote him to "Dong of Panhe".
Forgiveness is almost the same as no punishment...
But now it seems that it is not that simple. The Liangzhou An family has been multiplying in Liangzhou for many years. It is deeply rooted and powerful. Now it is driven to Panhe and has to reorganize Youxiao Guard. It is obviously intended to drain the firepower and destroy the An family in Liangzhou.
The power is completely wiped out.
The so-called reorganization is just an excuse. How could An Yuanshou allow the court to remove his confidants from You Xiaowei?
A war is inevitable.
Therefore, Cheng Yaojin was allowed to sit in Liangzhou and block the road from An Yuanshou to Guanzhong. He was also allowed to leave Qilian City to cut off An Yuanshou's possibility of escaping to the Western Regions or Tubo along the Hexi Corridor. As long as he rebelled, he would immediately
The two armies gathered together from east to west and were defeated in one fell swoop.
Where is Panhe? Backed by the Great Wall, facing the snow-capped mountains, to the north of Chang'an City is the endless desert, a desperate place...
"Your Majesty, don't worry, I will do my best to live up to the divine grace!"
Zheng Rentai knows that he has no choice at all. If he wants to retire in office, your majesty can let him return to Xingyang and continue to lead the Zheng family in Xingyang to develop and grow and threaten Guanzhong? Only by leaving Xingyang and leaving the town can your majesty be completely relieved and then not
We will investigate the Zheng family in Xingyang to the end.
However, he was willing to do so. After all, being able to take charge of a single bodyguard, even if he was far away in the desert in the Ganliang region, was far better than taking off his armor and returning to the fields to eat and wait to die...
Therefore, His Majesty's order is not unkind, it is just for everyone to do what they need.
Seeing that Zheng Rentai had agreed, Li Chengqian asked him to stand up and return to his seat, and said with emotion: "I am not a mean and ungrateful person, but I am also willing to live in harmony with you civil servants and generals who are loyal to my father, and write a good story. Aiqing can do this
In general, I am very pleased that the imperial court is the most important thing."
He just wants to be an emperor steadily, without being arrogant or extravagant, nor having to dominate the world. He just wants to take good care of the country left by his father, reform some outdated policies, open up the channels for talent promotion, and enrich the national treasury.
, it is enough to enrich the country and strengthen the army.
Whether it's about opening up new territories or about threatening the world, it's best if you can do it, but if you can't, that's okay...
In the final analysis, he is not an ambitious and peerless king who looks down upon the world, but a somewhat cowardly, inferior, and weak good old man with a fragile mind, less able to withstand cruel blows, and a willingness to be kind to others.
As long as Zheng Rentai is willing to go out to Liangzhou to intimidate An Yuanshou, then he will not pursue the Zheng family in Xingyang to the end...
*****
Almost at the same time, in the British palace, Li Ji received Cheng Yaojin in the flower hall...
"How can this be a case of leaving Liangzhou and being hereditary? It's obviously killing someone with a borrowed knife! An Yuanshou's ancestors have been rooted in Liangzhou for generations. Now they not only deprived him of his title, but also reorganized You Xiaowei. Any fool knows what the imperial court wants to do.
What, how can An Yuanshou sit back and wait for death? This battle must be fought! There was a big battle at Xianyang Bridge before. Although I took advantage, the losses were not small. If we continue to fight on other people's territory, wouldn't it be necessary?
Are you going to bring in all the soldiers and horses under my command?"
Cheng Yaojin banged the table, glared angrily, and complained loudly with an angry look on his face.
Li Ji drank tea and said slowly: "How did your Majesty promise you back then?"
Cheng Yaojin paused for a moment and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty asked Fang Jun to send a message, saying that he would ennoble Liang Guogong and go out to control Liangzhou for generations... But now he wants me to go to war. This is obviously punishment. It's not at all
Not a reward!"
"Ha! You are so thick-skinned..."
Li Ji, who was always taciturn and light-hearted, couldn't help but sneered and retorted: "You are just bullying His Majesty because he is young and soft-tempered. If it were in the time of Zhenguan, how dare you act like a snake and a mouse and go towards Qin Muchu."
What?"
Cheng Yaojin was speechless.
Who dares to play this trick with His Majesty Li Er? I will chop off your head later...
Li Ji sighed and said: "If you hadn't understood the situation at the most critical moment and took the initiative to go to Xianyang Bridge to block An Yuanshou, Yu Wenshi and the Guanlong private army recruited, now you would be a complete rebel and traitor, not only the country, but also the country. If the dukedom is not guaranteed, do you believe that all the members of Duke Lu's family will have to move three thousand miles for the first time? Your Majesty is soft-tempered and cannot bear harsh criticism. This is your luck, but you cannot take it for granted. Your Majesty can keep his promise and let you go. Zhenliangzhou, you are not only ungrateful but instead complaining here, what do you think? Do you really want your whole family to be buried with you?"