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Chapter 1195: Longxi Li's Response (Part )
After Li Yan became emperor, his greatest realization was that he needed strategy and direction in doing anything, but did not need too detailed policies and plans; there were too many forces in the court, and these people could choose to interfere at any time.

With everyone intervening, things will change beyond recognition, and no one person or force can have absolute control. They all need to make flexible adjustments based on the development of the situation, as long as the general direction is correct.

It is almost impossible to proceed every step according to the predetermined procedures. The more detailed the plan is, the less realistic it is to execute it.

Even if Li Yan had the authority of Li Shimin, he could not guarantee that things would not get out of control, not to mention that he had to stay behind the scenes to observe the overall situation. Whether it was Hou Junji, Cheng Yaojin or Li Ji, these bigwigs in the army.

He sent Xue Rengui to the side of the King of Qi, and promoted new elites such as Xu Jinzhong and Li Yifu to the three provinces.

Li Yan will interfere with their fate, but will not force it.

Can the old ministers of the previous dynasty change their fate and become important ministers of the new dynasty? Can the rising stars pass the test and rise from the chaos? It all depends on their fate. There are only so many positions in the court, and whether you can have a seat depends on a certain amount of luck.

If he was unlucky and failed or died halfway, Li Yan would not try to save him just because he was a historical figure.

The reason why I put Li Ji's matter aside for the time being is mainly because I want to see what the attitude of the Guanlong nobles is?

If they insisted on killing Li Ji, Li Yan would have no choice and he could not act on his own.

The Guanlong clan is still the most powerful force in the world, without a doubt.

The death of 200,000 Longxi cavalry made them like a wounded tiger, feeling extremely insecure. At this moment, they should only be appeased and not provoked again, otherwise they would poke a hole in the sky.

For example, using Li Ji's head to shock the world, declaring that the Guanlong clans are still powerful and the scoundrels still have to retreat.

The Guanlong clans are now in an extremely weak state, and what they fear most is probably that they, the Hebei clans, and the Jiangnan clans will join forces to attack them.

The marriage with the Wei family was Li Yan's way of showing his support for the Guanlong nobles and calming their hearts, so that they would not get agitated, or nervous or afraid, and thus make random moves and stir up trouble in the world.

As long as he could stabilize the hearts of the Guanlong nobles, he would be able to express some attitude towards Li Ji's handling of the matter in exchange for their return.

After all, it is hard to say whether they are using Li Ji's head to deter themselves from acting rashly or using Li Ji's life to do themselves a favor. Everything depends on their own actions and their own feelings.

If the operation goes well, Li Ji will live and everyone will be happy; if the operation goes wrong, Li Ji will die, the court structure will change suddenly, and there will be another style from then on.

Li Yan didn't like the overly tense atmosphere, so he took every step with extreme caution and tried his best to follow the right path.

Another thing is that although Li Ji is in trouble now, he may not be able to see the situation clearly. If we don't take any action first, and give him some time and hope, let him go find his so-called friends and old acquaintances, and wait until he runs into obstacles everywhere and falls into complete despair.

The emperor's attitude was cold, so the ministers did not dare to reach out. When everyone gave up and Li Ji was doomed to die, they would take action to retrieve him. This would make him follow them unswervingly. Otherwise, he would pass this test.

I will still be indecisive and waver.

As an emperor, you don't need to show great favor to your generals, but if they do, you have to do it.

In a relationship between a monarch and his subjects that is not bound by gratitude, both sides will feel uneasy.

In addition, Li Ji's life was being watched by two gangs. If he forgave him with a wave of his hand, it would make the nobles suspicious and wonder if he had colluded with Li Ji and deliberately put Long Xifei to death, which would be troublesome.

If I wanted to pardon him, they would try their best to kill him; now that I am punishing him, they will think that I am taking the opportunity to settle accounts with Li Ji and may even let him go.

The subtlety of this is difficult to explain in a few words.

Fortunately, Li Yan is now very familiar with these things. With just a little thought, he can make the most favorable choice.

In Lintao, Hexi, in the ancestral home of the Longxi Li family, in the northern and southern courtyard built on hot springs, there is a warm room.

Li Gu, who had been in a coma for many days, slowly woke up with the help of doctors and servants.

The old man who was energetic and ruddy before, looked much worse after this fainting. He seemed to have aged several years, his face was pale, his age spots were heavier, and his spirit was not as good as before.

"Grandpa, are you feeling better?" These past few days, Li Chongrui served his grandfather without taking off his clothes, fearing that his grandfather would pass away.

Li Gu is still the mainstay of the Longxi Li family, with the highest seniority and the most prestige. However, as the family grows and has more branches, the intrigues and power struggles of other forces cannot be avoided in the Li family.

Apart from Li Gu, no one can shock this powerful family that has existed for hundreds of years.

If he fell down, it would be no less than an earthquake. Li Gu lay on the bed supported by several soft quilts, waved his hand, and without much small talk, asked directly: "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Grandpa, you have slept for five whole days"

Li Gu frowned, turned to the old servant Li Zhong standing beside the bed and asked, "What happened these days?"

Li Zhong looked at Li Chongrui who was busy at the bedside, and Li Gu said directly: "My body is not good, and there are some things that the children should know. Chongrui is the eldest son, so there is no need to be shy. I have something else for him to do later."

As a family with hundreds of years of history, the Li family has a very rich foundation, and the Li family is one of the best. Its information network has long been deeply rooted and penetrated into all corners of the Tang Dynasty. It can be said that the Longxi Li family’s spies may not be as many as the royal family, but they are definitely more deeply rooted than the royal family.

Each of them has been deployed for decades and is a spy in a core position who can know any secrets at any time. This force hidden in the dark is managed by Li Gu's old servant Zhong Bo.

"Yes, sir."

Li Zhong responded, took out a booklet and flipped through it, saying slowly: "In the battle of Hebei, the Turks won a tragic victory. After two major battles, the loss was more than 150,000 people. Now there are less than 100,000 remaining soldiers, retreating to Le Shou to recuperate here."

"This number has been compiled by all parties and is true and reliable."

Li's intelligence network is very accurate. Unlike Li Ji, he does not rely on "rumors and possibilities" from all sides.

Their people even infiltrated the Turks and obtained first-hand information.

Li Gu nodded and said nothing. Li Zhong then continued, "King Li You of Qi led 100,000 troops from Qi, crossed the Yellow River, and stationed in Ande. The vanguard army approached Gonggao City and faced off against the Turkic army across the Zhang River."

"However, both sides were very cautious and did not continue fighting. The situation in Hebei has temporarily stabilized."

"Humph"

Li Gu's face turned cold and he said, "In a fight between two powers, we suffered heavy losses, and the Turks were also seriously injured. Such a big battle cannot be fought in a short time. Li You, the idiot, got an advantage. Can the court save some face now?"

"My lord, you don't know that the court announced that our army had won a great victory in this battle. When the people all over the world learned that we had killed nearly 200,000 Turkic cavalry in one battle, they were all excited and praised the emperor for his wisdom and the Tang army for its bravery." Li Zhong's mouth twitched strangely.

At this point, Li Chongrui interrupted indignantly, "Grandpa, you don't know that in this battle, our Longxi Flying Cavalry was completely wiped out, with 200,000 killed, but the court didn't say a word about it. They just keep publicizing the great victory. I don't know what their intention is?"

Li Gu thought for a moment, then sighed and said, "The emperor has just ascended the throne, and it is the first year of the Kaiyuan Dynasty. The court cannot afford such a disastrous defeat. Turning defeat into victory is also to stabilize people's hearts. The officials in the court have no other choice."

"If we win this battle, the matter of the Longxi Flying Cavalry can be concealed from the world."

"Now that we've been defeated, I'm afraid it's caused a lot of uproar. I'm sure there are a lot of rumors in Chang'an City, right?"

Li Zhong nodded. "Your guess is correct. The upper echelons of the capital are talking about this cavalry unit privately. I think the emperor knows about it. The Hebei nobles and the Jiangnan nobles have been in frequent contact recently. Someone suggested that we should take advantage of this incident and the great loss of strength of our Guanlong nobles to make a fuss."

"Where is the emperor? What is his reaction? Did he take any action?" Li Gu's expression tensed, he sat up straight and asked anxiously.

Li Zhong reported: "Master, don't worry. According to our spies around the emperor, the emperor's attitude is very clear. He directly rejected it and severely reprimanded the ministers who made slanderous remarks. He said that the Longxi Flying Cavalry fought for the country and they are all heroes of the Tang Dynasty."

"He would never do anything that would make his loved ones sad but his enemies happy."

Li Gu's face turned cold: "Who spread the slander?"

"Xu Jinzhong, the disciple under the emperor, was promoted by the emperor himself. He has been very favored recently. He was the one who suggested the matter of Princess Gaoyang a few months ago."

Seeing Li Gu's gloomy look, Li Zhong quickly said, "However, his advice this time was not entirely his own. On the one hand, the Hebei and Jiangnan nobles were behind the scenes fanning the flames; on the other hand, our people also went along with it and came forward to instigate it."

"Everyone wanted to test the emperor's attitude and decide on the next response, but we didn't expect the situation to be more optimistic than we thought."

At this point, Li Zhong's expression brightened: "In addition, the emperor also asked him to propose marriage to the Wei family, and prepare to hold a ceremony to marry the Crown Princess on February 2. Master, I think that the emperor's move is to announce to the world that his trust in the Guanlong nobles is the same as before and will never waver."

"call"

Li Gu's expression relaxed and he slowly lay back. His current body could not withstand the stress of a transition from the old to the new. It would be best if the emperor had no ill intentions.

However, he found it hard to believe that the emperor would not be tempted by such a good opportunity.

(End of this chapter)