Rouran’s former army must have crossed the West Sea, right?
Presumably Hu Shuai has sent a vanguard to investigate and confirm that it is indeed as stated in the secret letter received by Chou Nu: The Xihai Relics Department has laid out minefields and is waiting for work...
Of course, you won’t be scared away, but at least you can avoid Chou Nu’s worries: the West Sea is the West Sea, and the Yuan and Wei Dynasties are the Yuan and Wei Dynasties. The two are by no means the same.
To put it another way: Even if the Yuan and Wei Dynasties become a mess, as long as they don’t violate the West Sea, the powerful and weird Hexi Relics Department will not meddle in other people’s affairs...
Li Chengzhi was lost in thought, staring blankly at the carved beams on the top. Hearing Yuan Yi's low sigh, he seemed to be waking up from a dream.
"Where's Luo Jian? It's been half a month since I arrived in Fertile Field. Why has he been avoiding me?"
Knowing that you want to seize his military power, Luo Jian is stupid enough to meet you?
Yuan Yi picked up the wine cup and took a sip, and then sighed: "Don't be angry. You can return to Beijing early so that the court can implement all the rewards. If they remain empty for a long time, Li will inevitably be disappointed."
Shao and others are secretly resentful..."
"Haha... The imperial court regards me as a traitor, and they don't even hesitate to fight with me. How can I be rewarded?"
Li Chengzhi smiled crazily, "Your Highness, are you dreaming?"
If I really regarded you as a traitor, I would have imprisoned or killed you long ago. Why do you need to be so accommodating?
Yuan Yi slandered in his heart, and then gently advised: "The public in the court suspected that you were young and energetic, so they underestimated the enemy's carelessness, which ultimately made it self-defeating. Although there are all kinds of mistakes, things happened for a reason, so why should you be worried about it? p>
Furthermore, as ministers, you and I should know our responsibilities as ministers. Even if we have some grievances, we should be content with them and obey orders with caution. Even if we are not willing to do so, we should accept the order and return to the capital before it is too late to appeal for grievances.
If you are so disobedient..."
Li Chengzhi chuckled: "So far, I haven't even seen half of the imperial decree. How dare you falsely accuse me of resisting and disobeying it?"
Yuan Yi was slightly startled and glanced at him again.
You ran faster than a rabbit, and you were still in Jingzhou the day before yesterday, and you ran to Gaoping yesterday. Another day later, the flag returned to Chencang?
Just ask the official who issued the edict to you. Even if he has wings, he has to confirm where you have been before he can hand over the edict to you...
Fortunately, Li Chengzhi has not disappeared since arriving in Woye, and he has already rushed eight hundred miles to report to the capital. Calculating the time, the imperial envoy should arrive in a day or two at most.
After seeing the imperial edict, what will happen to you?
After pondering for a while, Yuan Yi persuaded him with earnest words: "It has been more than a month since Chencang went north. Even if he was so angry at the beginning, he must have been gone for most of it by now. So you should also be able to guess: I know that you are righteous.
If you are filled with anger and have a grievance in your heart, how can the imperial court send you to lead the army again?"
This means that it is in vain for him to wait, and it will make it more difficult for the court: after all, Li Chengzhi has repeatedly performed extraordinary feats, and the court has done so before, so he can't really be kidnapped and questioned, right?
Furthermore, Li Chengzhi ran too fast. Even the official who announced the decree could not catch up with him, and the court had no reason to punish him for disobeying the decree.
But it is inevitable to completely hate Yuan Ying and others. When Li Chengzhi returns to Beijing in the future, there will definitely be criticism between them.
As one of the assistant ministers and the de facto biological father of the emperor, Yuan Yi really did not want internal strife in the court, so he spoke so earnestly.
But Li Chengzhi is already riding a tiger and cannot get off. Even if he is to be punished, he will have to wait until he has a copy of the decree before he can return to Beijing. Otherwise, some people will doubt his intention to go to Beizhen alone...
So even if Yuan Yi said something, Li Chengzhi would not let go: "This is just your guess. With my achievements in pacifying Guanzhong, retreating from the Southern Dynasty, and Tuyuhun, the Queen Mother and Your Majesty, as well as all the princes in the court,
You should know that I am good at fighting. If the imperial court does not send me to lead the army, who else can it send?"
Is this a question of whether one has great merit or is good at fighting?
It's like choosing a horse. Although a wild horse is weak, no one wants to ride it even though it can travel thousands of miles in a day and eight hundred miles in a night.
Seeing Li Chengzhi's unruly appearance, Yuan Yi felt helpless: "What should you do if things don't go as planned?"
"If this is true, I have betrayed the late emperor. If I go under the Nine Springs, how can I see him..."
Li Chengzhi made a "haha" sound, suddenly threw the wine bowl on the ground, and pointed to the sky with his hand, "If so, what's the matter if I return to the capital according to the order? But in the future, there will be axes and axes, and I, Li Chengzhi, will never serve the imperial court again.
Lead the army. If you violate this oath, you will not have a good death in your ninth life..."
"Are you crazy or drunk?"
Just after he had finished his sentence, Yuan Yi was suddenly startled.
Li Chengzhi's face was filled with a ferocious look, his eyes were red, and hot tears were pouring down like springs.
This was the first time Yuan Yi saw Li Chengzhi cry. He couldn't help but think of all the past events on the night of the late emperor's assassination...
Yuan Ying was also confused. Just based on a rumor, he thought that Li Chengzhi was so ambitious that he would be the second best to Gao Zhao?
Don't say it's just speculation, so what if it's true?
Empress Dowager Feng raised so many faces, but none of them caused harm to the country or the people.
On the contrary, they selected talents like Li Chong to assist the country...
With emotion in his heart, Yuan Yi was about to say a few words of relief when he heard a soft call from outside the door: "Lang Jun, a letter from Guanzhong!"
"Okay!"
As if he didn't want outsiders to see him, Li Chengzhi quickly lowered his head, turned his back, and wiped away his tears a few more times.
After a while, he seemed to have calmed down a little, and then he stood up and bowed to Yuanyi: "Your Highness, wait a moment, I will come back as soon as I leave!"
Thinking it was Li Shao or the cunning Di Bao, Yuan Yi smiled nonchalantly and said, "You can just go on your own!"
……
After leaving the town government office and facing the wind for a moment, Li Chengzhi's eyes felt sore and spicy, and the tears that had barely stopped flowing down began to flow down like water.
It’s over, I used too much force...
Afraid of being seen, he covered his face with his sleeves and quickly jumped into the carriage: "Quick, bring some water..."
Li Cong quickly handed over the leather bag, and Li Rui used a snow-white silk scarf to wipe Li Chengzhi's eyes carefully.
"Mr. Sir, if there is a next time, don't use ginger juice. If you replace it with onions and garlic, how can it be so dazzling?"
"Bullshit!"
Li Chengzhi laughed and cursed, tears still flowing: "Onions, garlic smells stronger, are you afraid that Yuan Yi won't be able to smell it?"
That’s right!
Li Rui smiled coquettishly, handed the water bag to Li Cong, and took out a letter from his arms: "Is your servant opening the envelope?"
Li Chengzhi waved his hand: "Read it!"
Looking at the sealing paint, you can tell that it was sent from the West Sea, and Li Rui was just pretending to be a letter from Guanzhong.
This was an urgent report, and it must have been written in secret. The only people who knew about it were him, Li Liang, Li Song, and Li Feng, not including Li Rui. That was why Li Chengzhi was so relieved. Li Rui mumbled as he read the letter, and the more he read it, the weirder it became.
He recognized every word on it, but when placed together, it seemed like a book from heaven: Not a single word he had ever seen before?
But Li Chengzhi silently recited the password and translated simultaneously:
Half a month ago, Li Shixian, Li Chengxue, Huangfu Rang, Li Song, Li Liang, etc. either led the people, drove cattle and sheep, or led the armored soldiers to return to Hexi one after another...
Seven days ago, Rouran's former army passed through the West Sea. As he expected, they just did a little trial and went straight to Six Towns...
It seems that the ugly slave probably believed the secret letter and will no longer be entangled with the dispatch department and refuse to give up.
At least before the six towns are captured, or before they are defeated in Mobei, they should not send troops further south of Heli Mountain.
In this way, it can buy Xihai a few months, or even a year of breathing space...
Li Chengzhi secretly breathed a sigh of relief: At this point, he seemed to be angrily heading north, but in fact, his plan to hide the truth was a complete success.
Now he only needs to wait for the imperial decree to call him back to Beijing, and he can perform one more show and return to Beijing in style.
"Inform Li Feng that I may be leaving in three to five days at most. After that, if there are any changes in Beizhen, let him be sent to Beijing!"
Going back to Beijing?
Although he did not know the secret message, Li Rui knew exactly how Li Chengzhi planned it from front to back.
With a thought in his mind, he said whimsically: "What if it goes against Lang Jun's expectation and he is sent to lead the army to defend against the enemy?"
"What are you dreaming about?"
Li Chengzhi put wet wipes on his eyes and lay back: "The imperial court knew that I was furious and furious because of Gao Zhao's attempt to seize my military power. How dare you do this?
Even if Yuan Ying and others would not suspect that I wanted to be treasonous, they would definitely think that I was crazy and wanted to avenge the late emperor even if I died. Therefore, they did not want to ask me to be their commander. Even the most partial commander would not dare to let me lead.
Give up as soon as possible..."
Li Rui is so disappointed.
Now that Lang Jun is back in Beijing, it will be even harder for him to leave the capital within a year or two. Naturally, his two brothers can only stay in the capital to play with birds.
So unwilling...
Just as he was secretly feeling regretful, he suddenly heard the Che servant call out: "Lang Jun, His Royal Highness the King of Qinghe sent someone to look for him. He said that he asked Lang Jun to go to the town office as soon as possible!"
"What do you know?"
"I didn't mention it, but looking at it from a servant's perspective, I'm very excited about the people coming!"
A trace of suspicion arose in Li Chengzhi's heart: knowing that he was in a bad mood, Yuan Yi would not ask him to continue drinking.
Is it possible that the imperial edict has arrived?
What a coincidence...
"Quick, put some powder on me, don't let Yuan Yi see it..."
Li Rui and Li Cong were busy for a while, quickly eliminating the traces of Li Chengzhi's fake crying.
……
In just a moment, Li Chengzhi returned to the town office again. When he saw the person who had replaced Yuan Yi, he was very surprised: "How could it be you?"
"Why me, don't you know?"
Yang Jun smiled so obscenely, "The princes in the court are afraid of sending others, and there is no guarantee that they will not be beaten to death in your rage..."
Haha... This is the same as sending Cui Guang as an envoy to reward the army in Guanzhong.
Li Chengzhi smiled secretly in his heart, and a sudden coldness appeared on his face, as if he had guessed Yang Jun's intention: "But you want to declare an edict... to order me to return to Beijing?"
Seeing him gnashing his teeth and his eyes seemed to be red, Yang Jun secretly admired him: It was just as You Zhao, Liu Fang and others expected. If it had been anyone else, even if he hadn't been beaten to death by Li Chengzhi, he would probably have received a few punches. He suppressed a smile, nodded and replied: "You should have expected it!"
Li Chengzhi's face gradually turned ferocious: "Who is leading the army?"
Yang Jun paused for a moment and said in a deep voice: "The imperial court has appointed Gao Sikong as the general to conquer the north, and will soon send troops to the north..."
"Okay, okay, okay!"
Li Chengzhi shouted three times, and tears suddenly flowed down.