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

Chapter 782 Hedong Road

Li Yan brought Wang Xuance to the sparsely populated back garden of Cheng'en Palace and said, "Xuance, you must know that in the power field, the foundation of your survival is the power you have obtained."

"Except for those who give you power, anyone who wants to get involved in your sphere of influence is your enemy."

"You must strike them mercilessly, and if necessary, crush and destroy them at all costs to protect your power, because the moment you lose power, you will also lose your life."

Wang Xuance was shocked when he heard this. Seeing the stern look in the prince's eyes and the indifference without any emotional warmth in his eyes, even though it was a hot summer day, he still felt a chill all over his body, causing Wang Xuance to tremble from the bottom of his soul.

Although Wang Xuance was smart and intelligent, he had been under the protection of the prince since he came to the Eastern Palace. He only saw smiling faces and met friendly people. He had never experienced power struggles and had never felt the cruelty of struggle.

On the contrary, like Li Yan, he has a mentality of playing with the world.

But he didn't know that although Li Yan appeared stupid to others, he knew in his heart that he was in a vortex and he never relaxed for a moment. The weakness he showed to the outside world was just a survival need and a protective color to deceive outsiders.

Of course, perhaps Wang Xuance also knew it, but he only knew it. He had not experienced the blood and killing personally, and would never be able to truly understand the essence of power and struggle.

"Xuan Ce, if you are a commander, and you give the military power of 10,000 troops to a general, but after a while, the general comes to tell you that his power has been taken away by someone else, the commander's brother-in-law, what should you do?"

Wang Xuance was stunned for a moment, then said sternly: "I will dismiss him and never let him lead troops again."

"If it were me, I would immediately behead this general as a lesson to others." Li Yan's face was very gloomy, and his words also revealed the chill of the forest.

When Wang Xuance heard this, his pupils shrank and he felt a layer of fine goose bumps on his neck. After a long time, he swallowed dryly and his Adam's apple trembled.

"When the superiors let you sit in this position, they actually give you the power and let you control it on their behalf."

"But you lost it. What's the point of living?"

Li Yan said coldly: "Power and position are different. Positions are appointed by the court, but power needs to be fought for by yourself. How much power you have does not depend entirely on your position. Some people have high positions but little actual power."

"Some people hold low positions but actually have great power. You will gradually realize this in the future."

"In the past, I was there for you. You could always rely on me and stay in a warm nest. Without going through wind and rain, you will never grow into an eagle that flies freely in the blue sky. So I have to leave Chang'an and go to the grassland to gain experience."

"And you, after leaving my protection, the only thing you can rely on in the future is the power in your hands. The Jinyiwei has no commander for the time being, and the pacification envoy is a commander in name only."

"Su Dingfang and Liang Jianfang's assistant commanders are one level lower than you in terms of job ranking, but they are experienced, well-qualified, and skilled. Your governor has the responsibility to supervise them, and actually controls the internal affairs department, and also has the token of the emperor I bestow upon you."

"Objectively speaking, you are the three giants of the Jinyiwei, each of you has your own advantages. Your advantages are far greater than those of the two of them. How can you strive for power and expand your influence, and do a good job of the Jinyiwei on the basis of maintaining internal unity?"

"This is your responsibility and also a test for you."

Finally, Li Yan said calmly: "Chang Sheng has been in Jinyiwei for three months, and he has basically figured out everything inside Jinyiwei. However, he will not be your competitor. I will take him away and let him observe Jinyiwei from the dark for me and watch how you three perform."

"When I come back, I will select the best performer among the three of you and directly appoint him as the first commander of the Imperial Guards."

"Xuan Ce, I have high hopes for you and have put a lot of effort into you, but I will not support a hopeless person. I am not sure how long I will be away. It could be three to five months, or three to five years. I am only telling you these things, so you should keep them in mind."

"You know a lot more about the inside story than they do. If you still lose to them under such circumstances, then I will have no choice but to give up on you."

After saying that, Li Yan left alone.

He will leave tomorrow, and he still needs to meet many people, arrange many things, and make many preparations. Haitang and Wenjun need to be comforted, Su Dingfang and Liang Jianfang also need to be explained in advance, and Ankang, Changle and other sisters need to say goodbye, there are many things to do.

Originally, Li Yan wanted to find Changsun Wuji to ask about Quan Wanji. Changsun Wuji was the person closest to Li Shimin.

If Li Shimin had any secret actions, Changsun Ji could not hide them from him.

But after thinking about it, Li Yan gave up for the time being.

It was fine if I stayed in Chang'an. If I left temporarily, it would be meaningless to know about Quan Wanji, and it would easily arouse Li Shimin's vigilance. If I could ask, I might as well ask Quan Wanji directly. I don't think this old guy would dare to hide it.

However, Li Shimin must be keeping a close eye on him now, and will be very wary of anyone who appears next to Quan Wanji. Quan Wanji didn't even dare to speak, which shows his situation.

Let's put it aside for now. I won't use it for the time being.
Wang Xuance was staying alone by the lake, looking at the white clouds in the distant sky, which were reflected in the water rippling in the wind, and fell into deep thought.

Wang Xuance felt a little worried and confused, but also a little excited.

The prince's departure not only made him lose his backing and psychological support, but also released the shackles on him.

In the past, the affairs of the Jinyiwei were basically reported to Li Yan for decision-making, and Wang Xuance was just a runner. But the temporary absence of the prince handed the actual power of the Jinyiwei to Wang Xuance, and also handed Wang Xuance's life to himself.

Wang Xuance knew the superficial significance and actual purpose of the Jinyiwei's existence, as well as the scope of responsibilities and power structure. What he lacked was actual mastery and control. Without power, there was no responsibility, so Li Yan would not arrange specific tasks before.

But letting go this time is both a test and an experience for Wang Xuance. Whether he can grow up and stand on his own depends on his performance this time.

Wang Xuance clenched his fists, feeling both worried and happy when he thought of the terrible consequences of losing power revealed in the prince's words just now.

He knew that the prince was reminding him and also criticizing him in disguise.

From today on, I will truly step into the officialdom of the Tang Dynasty and enter the center of power.

How high he can go in the future depends on how much role his Jinyiwei can play for the prince.

The Yellow River originates from the Bayankala Mountains on the plateau and flows from west to east into the Guannei Road, then turns north. It is blocked by the Yin Mountains and turns east. It then flows south in the jurisdiction of Shengzhou Yulin in the east, forming a large "J" shape, inside of which is the rich Hetao region.

The naturally formed Yinshan Mountains and the Yellow River were originally natural barriers to the Central Plains. Unfortunately, at the end of the Sui Dynasty, when the Central Plains was in chaos and fell into the separatist rule of warlords, the Turks took the opportunity to march south, invaded most of the Hetao region, and marched to the Weishui River, almost forcing the Tang Dynasty to abandon Chang'an and move the capital inland.

The Guanzhong area across the Yin Mountains and the Yellow River is almost flat and has no strategic locations to defend.

Later, after Li Shimin and the Turks signed the Bianqiao Alliance, the Tang Dynasty built a line of defense in the middle of the Chinese character "J" (a shape of a character that is connected to the Yellow River) in the areas of Lingzhou, Wuyuan, Yunzhong, Suizhou, and Dingxiang.

This line of defense became the front line of the Tang Dynasty against the Turks. The most important area, Yunzhong, was only wiped out at the beginning of the year by the forces of Liang Shidu entrenched there.

On the contrary, the nearby Hedong Road has maintained a relatively complete defense system due to its special geographical features. The terrain extends to the upper right corner of the eastern part of the Yellow River's "J" shape, and is closer to the heart of the grassland.

Hedong Dao is located in the middle of the Yellow River Basin, surrounded by mountains and water. To the east, the towering Taihang Mountains serve as a natural barrier, and it is adjacent to Hebei Dao. To the west and south, it is backed by the Luliang Mountains, with the Yellow River as a moat, and faces Guannei Dao and the capital area.
It spans the Great Wall to the north and borders the prairie.

The outline of the territory is sloping from northeast to southwest. The Fen River Valley runs from north to south and merges into the Yellow River in the Longmen Hejin area. Several important prefectures and states were built along the water.

Li Yuan started his rebellion in Taiyuan, and it was from this line that he entered the interior, captured Chang'an, and established the Tang Dynasty.

As a result, Hedong Road was considered by the Tang Dynasty as the "dragon's rise" place, and Jinyang was named the northern capital.

After leaving Tongguan with the court's large group of troops, Li Yan did not even go to Luoyang. He took Chang Sheng and several tutors directly north along the Fen River Valley, passing Jinyang without entering. After running for seven or eight days, he finally arrived at Mayi City, the northern border town at the forefront of Hedong Road, in the afternoon of that day.

It is said that during the Qin Dynasty, a city was built inside the Wu Zhou border to guard against the Hu people. When the city was almost completed, it collapsed several times.

There was a horse running fast and circling back and forth, which surprised the elders. So they built a city according to the horse's tracks, and the city did not collapse, so it was named Mayi.

Starting from Yanmen Pass in the south and ending at Shaohukou in the north, people have created the "Mayi Ancient Road". The ancient road extends southward and northward, forming a major transportation artery connecting the Central Plains, the desert and even Central Asia, and remains as open as the Silk Road.

The vast tracts of land outside Yanmen Pass were under the jurisdiction of Mayi County, and the county government was located in Shanyang City, forty miles away.

After Li Yan and his party crossed a mountain ridge in a dusty manner, this long-famous ancient city suddenly appeared before everyone.

Perhaps because they had left the core of power of the Tang Dynasty, everyone felt a lot more relaxed. Even Changsheng, who was usually a man of few words, smiled rarely. He had been in Mayi for some time and was very familiar with the place.

When he arrived at the border, feeling the wars and the smell of battlefields in the air, Chang Sheng felt his blood boiling.

(End of this chapter)