The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 670 Xue Rengui Goes to the Front Line
These thoughts flashed through Li Yan's mind. Looking at Cheng Huaibi in front of him, Li Yan said to Henglian who was serving on the side: "Henglian, take Huaibi to the back and introduce the situation to him so that he can familiarize himself as soon as possible."

Heng Lian was very familiar with this set of procedures. He agreed and took Cheng Huaibi, who kept looking back, out of the hall and headed outside.

Cheng Yaojin looked at his son's reluctant look and explained with a wry smile, "I am away from home all year round. This child is young and stays at home. He is spoiled by his mother and is a little homesick. Your Highness, please forgive me."

"It's okay. The young eagle has to leave the nest step by step. Otherwise, how can it fly into the vast blue sky?"

Li Yan waved his hand and said casually: "I like these children. They are like a blank sheet of paper. They don't have the discrimination and stance of adults. They are very malleable. I will create an equal environment here so that they will not be tempted by interests, eliminate all interference, and focus on absorbing knowledge, improving skills, and growing into pillars of the court."

Cheng Yaojin was shocked when he heard this. If this is the case, the effect will not be seen in a short time. But over time, the East Palace will be able to cultivate a large number of outstanding talents, who will be continuously sent to the court. These people will naturally protect the prince when they enter the court.

Twenty years later, when the crown prince succeeds to the throne, these people will be the emperor's disciples. The crown prince will have more talents available than Li Shimin does now and will have more powerful control over the court.

Thinking of this, Cheng Yaojin looked at the calm and composed young man in front of him with awe. He thought he was really far-sighted and even better than his teacher!
Li Yan looked at Cheng Yaojin thoughtfully and asked, "General, you have already met the emperor. Will you leave the capital and return to Dingxiang in a few days?"

"Yes, Your Highness. The Emperor has granted me a month's leave for my return to the capital. I have almost finished my work. I am relieved to leave Huaibi to Your Highness."

Cheng Yaojin reported: "Although there are no major battles on the border, small conflicts have never stopped for a day. In addition, the emperor has handed over the entire Dingxiang to me, and I still have many tasks to do. I plan to set off the day after tomorrow without further delay."

"Well, I have a personal matter that I would like to ask of you, General!"

"Your Highness, please give your orders. I will do my best," Cheng Yaojin said hurriedly.

Li Yan waved his hand, and Xue Shigui, who was standing on the side, stepped forward and saluted: "Your Highness, Crown Prince, I greet Duke Lu!"

Li Yan pointed at Xue Rengui and said, "General, this man is Xue Li Xue Rengui, from Longmen County, Jiangzhou, Hedong Road, from the Hedong Xue family. But their family fell into poverty, their father died early, and they only have one mother to rely on. He came to the East Palace three months ago to be my guard."

"Rengui has practiced martial arts since he was young and is quite brave. He always asks me to let him go to the battlefield to make achievements. But I am the crown prince and it is difficult for me to even leave Chang'an. I am afraid that I will not be able to take him to the battlefield in the short term."

"General, you are going to Yunzhong Dingxiang, which is right next to the Turkic border. There are constant conflicts and battles every day. Now I have enough people around me, so I will entrust him to you and take him to the border. Bring him with you to gain more experience and broaden your horizons. Otherwise, these young people always think that they are invincible just because they can play a few bows and arrows."

"After the Battle of Dingxiang, I will call him back to the East Palace and continue to serve as a guard."

Finally, Li Yan said solemnly: "I don't expect him to achieve great things, I just hope he can see the cruelty of a real battlefield and know that the peaceful life currently enjoyed by the people of the Tang Dynasty is earned by the brave men like the general who sacrificed their lives on the frontier."

Cheng Yaojin stood up immediately. The words of the prince made him excited. He had always thought that the prince was a weak scholar. Now he knew that the prince was as good at both civil and military affairs as the emperor, and he was a low-key and introverted person. He also had a clear understanding of military commanders like himself, and he had such a high evaluation.

With such a crown prince, the future of the Tang Dynasty will surely be bright, and the past events of the previous dynasty will not happen again.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I will teach you carefully. By next year, I will definitely give you a vigorous and brave general." Cheng Yaojin promised loudly.

"Xue Rengui!"

Xue Rengui's heart was already in turmoil at this time. So many people had requested, but the prince did not agree. Instead, he pushed him out, who had not asked, even though making achievements on the battlefield was his dream.

But his current duty was to protect the prince. He wanted to decline, but he was always cautious in his words and deeds, and the idea of ​​serving the monarch with sincerity was deeply rooted in his heart. It was not his turn to express his opinion in front of the prince and Duke Lu, so Xue Rengui had to suppress his doubts and restlessness.

"Your Highness?" Xue Rengui looked at Li Yan anxiously.

Li Yan seemed unaware and ordered: "You must protect General Cheng's safety as you have protected me. If General Cheng gets into trouble, you must not come back."

"Yes, Your Highness, rest assured. I will definitely protect General Cheng to the death." Xue Rengui saw that the prince was determined and did not allow any doubt, so he habitually responded respectfully. Li Yan ignored Xue Rengui's turbulent mind, but stood up, took Cheng Yaojin's hand, and said with concern: "The battlefield is dangerous, and once you enter the battlefield, no one knows what will happen?"

"Time is merciless. General, you are not young anymore. You are ten years older than my father, and you are not in your prime. I don't know how many soldiers will be killed in the battle of Dingxiang. General, you must not be brave and protect yourself. I will set up a celebration wine in the East Palace to welcome you back in triumph."

Cheng Yaojin's heart was struck by lightning, and his eyes suddenly turned red. The concern in the young prince's eyes came from the heart, which touched Cheng Yaojin for the first time, and he also recognized the young man in front of him. As the saying goes, those who have the same desire will win. The emperor's recognition and the prince's support seemed to inject a boiling heat into Cheng Yaojin, making him feel that he would die for his friend.

Slowly raising his arm and cupping his fist, Cheng Yaojin said with a solemn expression and firm eyes, "As long as the flying general of Longcheng is here, the Hu horse will not be allowed to cross Yinshan Mountain."

After saying this, Cheng Yaojin left the Eastern Palace as Li Yan reluctantly bid him farewell.

Li Yan stood at the gate of Chongren Hall, silently reciting these two lines of poetry. Of course he understood that Cheng Yaojin was hinting by resisting the Turks that he would protect himself as he protected the Tang Dynasty, and help him shield himself from the wind and rain as he did from the Hu people, and resist the open and secret attacks that threatened his position as the crown prince.

"Your Highness, I will also guard Your Highness to the death!" Xue Rengui was influenced by the solemn atmosphere just now and said with a firm face.

"Haha, I believe you!"

Xue Rengui then said with an embarrassed look on his face: "Your Highness, if I leave, who will protect you?"

"Haha, if Henglian and the others heard you saying that, how embarrassing it would be. Does it mean that before you came to the East Palace, I was living in danger every day?"

Li Yan looked at the honest man who was teased by him and blushed, patted Xue Rengui on the shoulder and said: "I am the prince, and I will be the emperor in the future. The only one who can protect me is a general who commands thousands of troops. A guard and a bow cannot protect me."

Xue Rengui was shocked and fell into deep thought.
"Dingxiang is at the front line of defense against the Turks, and the war is ongoing. Moreover, the imperial court will launch a northern expedition either this winter or next spring. Once the war breaks out, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses will turn the Dingxiang area into a meat grinder that devours blood and flesh."

"Renyuan, Renshi, Junmai, Gaokan, Siye, they all requested it from me, but I only agreed to let you go to the front line, not for anything else, but because you are mature and steady, you know the big picture, you care about the overall situation, and you won't act on impulse."

"When you go to the front line, you must be obedient and follow General Cheng's orders. Do whatever he tells you to do, and don't act on your own if he doesn't let you do it. Don't rely on the support of the East Palace and General Cheng to act recklessly."

"General Cheng will definitely take you with him. You should talk less, listen more, and watch more. Follow General Cheng to gain insights and broaden your horizons. Learn how to deploy troops and battle formations. Try to understand and learn from him how to use troops and how to deal with people."

"Remember, I sent you to the front line not to let you monitor General Cheng, but to learn. General Cheng is a rare general who is rough on the outside but talented on the inside. If you follow him and are humble, you can learn a lot, which will benefit you throughout your life."

"My expectation for you is to be a general who can lead a large army to attack cities and destroy countries, rather than a general who can charge into battle. Don't think about killing ten or eight enemies, but learn how to make plans and make decisions thousands of miles away, how to control a large army to fight, how to kill millions of soldiers in one battle, and destroy cities and countries with ease!"

Xue Rengui suddenly became full of pride and said excitedly: "Rengui will live up to your trust and expand the territory for the Tang Dynasty and spread its power to all corners of the world."

"Okay, you just heard it, General Cheng will leave the day after tomorrow!"

Li Yan patted Xue Rengui on the shoulder and said, "Go and get ready! After all, you are from the Eastern Palace. I will give you four guards to help you maintain your reputation. Don't let others look down on the Eastern Palace. You can take them to Dingxiang!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Xue Rengui bowed excitedly and left with his head held high.

Li Yan smiled slightly. Xue Rengui was a straightforward person who couldn't hide his thoughts. He couldn't do the kind of secret surveillance and treacherous things. If he had to do it reluctantly, it would be like breaking his will and ruining a future general.

Moreover, Cheng Yaojin was a very meticulous person. If Xue Rengui, a teenager, was entrusted with such a mission, he would definitely not be able to hide it from him. But his attention would be on Xue Rengui. As long as the two of them spent a few days together and could not reach Dingxiang, Cheng Yaojin would be completely relieved about Xue Rengui. This was determined by Xue Rengui's character.

But they can manipulate the most inconspicuous guards. These people are just bulletproof vests for the commanders. They are generally people with no ideas and high martial arts skills. In the eyes of the big men, they are just dispensable servants who can be sacrificed at any time.

(End of this chapter)