Datang: Rebirth of Li Chengqian, the beginning of the treason interrogation

Chapter 240 Li Er has never been a soft-hearted person

At the wine table, everyone holds a bamboo stick.

The marching orders are simple to say. For the first-class nobles, they usually compose poems and lyrics and draw lots.

In the military, there is a lack of elegance and people often use drawing lots to play drinking games.

“Who missed?”

Li Shimin glanced around.

He did not participate, but acted as a referee.

"Alas, Your Majesty, I have failed!"

Li Junxian bowed and placed the blank bamboo stick on the table.

"If you fail, just tell me, you are so nagging, how can you be like a woman."

Seeing that Li Junxian didn't speak for a long time.

Yuchi Jingde immediately started cursing.

"You are the one who is nagging?"

Li Junxian was also drunk and immediately retorted.

"Fifth Lady!"

Li Junxian shouted loudly, he could afford to lose.

"Haha, I'm not saying you're fussy like a woman, your name is a woman's name!"

Yuchi Jingde laughed.

The other generals couldn't control themselves and laughed loudly.

In the mansion, the atmosphere reached a climax because of Li Junxian's nickname.

Such a tough guy actually has such a feminine name.

"Stop laughing. Do you think your nicknames are that good?"

Li Junxian waved his hand and sat down, then threw the bamboo stick into the bamboo tube.

"Come again!"

Of course Li Junxian was not convinced and wanted to get back at them.

Of course, besides Li Junxian who was unhappy, there was another person in the audience.

That was Li Shimin, who was sitting in the main seat. Not only was he displeased, he was also slightly surprised, and there was a bit more hostility in his eyes when he looked at Li Junxian.

"Fifth Lady, since you are a woman, why are you so majestic and powerful?"

Li Shimin suddenly spoke, half tentatively.

"Your Majesty, you are joking! I am a man, but this name was given by my parents and cannot be changed."

Li Junxian smiled apologetically.

"I didn't know there was such a custom in your hometown. Where are you from?"

Li Shimin's expression kept changing, but due to the lighting problem, no one could see anything.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I, the general, will leave for Wu'an County!"

Li Junxian told the truth.

"Oh, you really have a connection with the word 'Wu'. Your nickname is Wu Niangzi. You were born in Wu'an County. Your official title is Longwuwei Wuwei General, and your title is Wulian County Lord."

Li Shimin's heart slowly sank.

"This is all thanks to your Majesty's reward!"

Li Junxian naturally had no idea what Li Shimin was thinking at the moment, and thanked him gratefully.

"You deserve this!"

Li Shimin replied absentmindedly and slowly stood up.

In my mind, the prophecy kept lingering: "After the third generation of the Tang Dynasty, the female ruler Wu Wang will replace the Li family and rule the world."

Li Shimin had people investigating this female ruler, King Wu, for many years.

There were also quite a few people who died in it.

But none of them could contrast with the divination.

And now Li Junxian was deeply feared by Li Shimin.

Li Junxian holds an important position, responsible for the safety of the imperial palace, and is highly regarded by the emperor.

A hundred years after his death, Li Zhi would certainly entrust him with important tasks.

In case of any disturbance, Li Junxian has a lot of room for maneuver.

And the heroine is a perfect match for Li Junxian's nickname, the Fifth Lady.

The heroine does not refer to a woman, but a name.

Thinking of this, Li Shimin left his seat, with a heavy heart.

"His Majesty!"

Yuchi Jingde was also startled and hurried over to help.

"I'm tired, Jingde, please take me back!"

Li Shimin left without looking back.

"Your Majesty, do you have any thoughts?"

After walking for a long time, Yuchi Jingde finally asked.

"Li Junxian, what do you think of this person?"

The more Li Shimin thought about it, the more certain he became that Li Junxian was the person predicted.

"What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

A smart person will never express his or her own opinions without fully understanding the thoughts of his or her superiors.

Although Yuchi Jingde had some friendship with Li Junxian, it was not a deep one.

Li Junxian belongs to the camp of Wagangzhai.

Before Yuchi Jingde, there was a general of Liu Wuzhou.

"Jingde, do you still remember that in the eighth year of Zhenguan, the star Taibai appeared in the daytime, and the historian predicted that King Wu would replace Li Shishi's throne."

Li Shimin spoke.

I would rather kill someone by mistake than let him go.

At this time, Li Shimin's murderous intention had already grown.

However, he had been wise throughout his life, and he did not want to lose his integrity in his later years and be known as a man who killed wise ministers.

Stand and stand again.

"Your Majesty has ordered me to go there, even if it means mountains of swords and seas of fire."

Yuchi Jingde knew what Li Shimin was thinking.

He didn't care about right or wrong. He was not loyal to the Tang Dynasty, but to Li Shimin.

Different from other loyal ministers.

This is why he could become Li Shimin's close minister and the reason why he was one of the long-lasting ministers.

When it comes to trust, he is far ahead of Li Jing and Li Ji.

He was truly worthy of the title as Li Shimin's number one henchman.

Li Yuanji and Yuchi Jingde were also chopped to pieces without blinking an eye.

You have to know that he was Li Shimin's younger brother. Even though he had conflicts with Li Shimin, few of his subjects dared to kill him.

Everyone would be afraid that Li Shimin would settle the score with them later.

Moreover, Li Yuan was still in power at that time, so who wouldn’t be afraid of the Nine Clans Elimination Game?

Only Yuchi Jingde was not afraid.

He raised his sword and killed him.

Now there is only Li Junxian, as long as Li Shimin does not stop him.

Maybe tonight, the news will spread in the military camp that Duke of E, Yuchi Jingde, killed General Li Junxian of the Wuwei Army while drunk.

"No, this matter still needs to be considered carefully, and you must not be impulsive."

Li Shimin warned that he knew Yuchi Jingde too well.

Li Junxian holds an important position, and has been joining Li Shimin since then.

He also made many achievements. If it were not for this incident, Li Junxian would still be highly trusted by Li Shimin.

Even if Li Shimin wanted to get rid of him, he had to find a good reason.

"I understand. I will not cause any trouble to Your Majesty."

If Li Shimin was a tyrant, then he would be killed, but what he wanted to do was to be a wise ruler like Emperor Wen of Han.

So Yuchi Jingde also became timid.

"Jingde, go call Bazhuo over. I have something important to discuss with him."

After Li Shimin entered the bedroom, he half lay on the bed.

Taking the long term view does not mean waiting a long time to solve the problem.

Now, whenever a hidden danger arises, Li Shimin will try his best to solve it immediately.

Since he couldn't take action himself, he could only kill with someone else's knife.

"promise!"

Yuchi Jingde turned around and left quickly.

I don’t know if it was because of the illness or because Li Shimin was old.

I became more and more convinced by the words of alchemy.

He has lost his former wisdom and has become suspicious.

At this time, his performance in the political situation was actually no different from that of a tyrant.

To execute a meritorious official because of a single criticism.

It seems that no king can escape the curse of old age.

It cannot be said that it is unfortunate that Li Shimin is now critically ill. At least he can have a good end.

If things were as dark as they are now, I would have stayed in the court for another ten years.

I'm afraid that most of the achievements will be wiped out.

A few days later, the Tang army also returned to Lingzhou City one after another.

However, few people had the chance to meet Li Shimin.

The fewer people who know about Li Shimin's illness, the better.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"

Beside the bed, Changsun Wuji's eyes were filled with tears. Li Shimin now looked completely different from when he left Beijing.

"I can always wait for you."

Li Shimin revealed a smile.

Changsun Wuji's position is of great importance in Li Shimin's heart.

She is the person he relies on the most.

"It is my fault. If I had not misjudged Zhang Liang, things would not have come to this."

Changsun Wuji felt extremely regretful.

Although his plan was perfect, he encountered a traitor named Zhang Liang.

His plan completely failed, and he ended up seeing his loved one die.

"It's not your fault. If you want to investigate further, I may have misjudged Zhang Liang."

"Let's not talk about him anymore. The situation is settled now and he can't cause any big waves."

Li Shimin waved his hand, showing no intention of pursuing the matter further.

"You came just in time, I have something to say to you!"

"Why, Li Daliang hasn't come back yet?"

Seeing that only Zhangsun Wuji came, Li Shimin asked again.

He now has the candidates for the government.

They are Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Chu Suiliang and Ma Zhou. The four of them can restrain each other.

As for the military and political affairs, he also needs several people to be in charge.

They were Su Dingfang, Li Daliang and Yuchi Jingde, who avoided a situation where one side dominated the market.

The most ideal situation is that Li Ji, Li Daozon and Xue Wanche are in charge of military affairs.

But these three people were all with Li Chengqian, so he had to make some changes.

"Your Majesty! General Li...he...died of illness on the road!"

Changsun Wuji said this in a trembling voice, then slowly lowered his head, not daring to look directly into Li Shimin's shocked and sad eyes.

The army had originally expected a complete victory, but the result was not as expected. The results were few and the troops suffered heavy casualties.

Perhaps it was because time was unforgiving, or perhaps it was because the journey was too long and difficult, Li Daliang still fell on the journey.

It’s better to go ahead of Li Shimin.

However, for a famous general like Li Daliang who fought on the battlefield all his life, ending his life in this way is a kind of perfection.

Died on the battlefield, wrapped in horse leather.

Upon hearing the bad news, Li Shimin's body trembled slightly, and his lips quivered as he wanted to say something, but his throat seemed to be blocked by a ball of cotton, and he could only make a few unclear whimpers.

His eyes gradually became moist, tears welled up in his eye sockets, his heart was filled with regret for Li Daliang, and a feeling of sadness rose from his heart.

Li Shimin inadvertently glanced at the hair of Changsun Wuji beside him. He didn't know when, the once black and shiny hair had turned a little silver.

Li Shimin realized that the glorious era that belonged to him and them was quietly coming to an end.

Old friends are dying one after another.

"I'm afraid I don't have much time left..."

Li Shimin sighed softly, his eyes had become dim at this moment, like a candle swaying in the wind.

He slowly turned his gaze to Changsun Wuji who was standing beside him, and said in a low voice:

"Zhi Nu is still young, and the affairs of the court are complicated and heavy. In the future, you will need more help for the well-being of the country and people of the Tang Dynasty!"

When Changsun Wuji heard this, his heart tightened, but he still pretended to be calm and said:
"Your Majesty, please do not be so pessimistic. The dragon's body will gradually recover."

However, in the face of such tremendous power, Changsun Wuji did not feel the slightest excitement. On the contrary, an indescribable panic arose from the bottom of his heart.

Li Shimin just shook his head slightly and continued:

"I know my own physical condition best. I'm afraid the deadline is approaching."

As he spoke, he sat up a little straighter and continued:
"I have made proper arrangements for all the ministers in the court, and have drafted secret decrees. When the day of my death comes, you will understand."

After a pause, Li Shimin changed the subject and looked at Zhangsun Wuji seriously and said:
"I know that you and Cheng Qian often have different political views, but if one day Cheng Qian raises an army, you must assess the situation and act accordingly."

After saying this, a heart-pounding light suddenly flashed in Li Shimin's originally dim and lifeless eyes.

Changsun Wuji's heart trembled violently. How could he not know that the heart of the emperor in front of him was as deep as the sea and his power was unpredictable?
Back then, there were people who could kill even their own flesh and blood.

Thinking of this, Changsun Wuji did not dare to be negligent any longer, and immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed:

"I will obey the decree of the Holy Spirit. If the situation develops to that point as Your Majesty said, I will definitely put the overall situation first and will never go against the will of Heaven."

I am just his elder brother-in-law, and the blood relationship is far from complete.

Today he is entrusting his son to others, but also testing and suppressing Changsun Wuji.

"I know that our journey has been difficult, but if you hold power in the future, you must be cautious and not be careless. I know that you are loyal and will never rebel, but there is only a fine line between a good minister and a powerful minister, and you need to be careful about the difference. If you are not careful, you may make a mistake and be doomed."

At this point, Changsun Wuji finally managed to pass the most dangerous hurdle with great difficulty.

But he knew in his heart that Li Shimin's suppression of him was far from over.

Changsun Wuji was well aware of the changes in the times. At this moment, he bowed his head respectfully to the ground, not daring to slack off in the slightest, and listened quietly to Li Shimin's teachings.

You know, Li Shimin was not a soft-hearted person. At this critical period of power transition, any potential threats would be ruthlessly eradicated by him.

Back then, in order to test whether Li Ji could truly be led by Li Zhi, Li Shimin did not hesitate to order him to be exiled to a remote and desolate border area.

If Li Ji had hesitated for a moment about this imperial decree, or had failed to assess the situation and retreat when faced with difficulties, he would have been punished for disobeying the imperial decree and beheaded immediately.

Moreover, Li Shimin also prepared special tests for Chu Suiliang and Zhangsun Wuji. These tests were not fierce like swordplay, but seemingly ordinary dialogues and exchanges.

But during that seemingly ordinary conversation, the life and death of the two people experienced many twists and turns.

It is no less severe than the crisis faced by Li Ji.

Because Changsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang have different backgrounds from others, they are both from prominent families.

The power is so great that it can influence the political situation and even be able to propose new ideas or abolish new ones.

"He who holds great power and deceives his master is a powerful minister; he who holds all power and assists his master is a good minister."

"Huo Guang and Zhuge Kongming are both references. You must learn from history to understand gains and losses. Otherwise, you will be infamous for thousands of years and it will be difficult to have a good end."

In addition to worry, there was also a sense of instruction in his words.

"I understand. I will follow your majesty's instructions and do my utmost to assist the young master until my death."

Changsun Wuji's head hit the ground, making a thud.

If you don't show your loyalty, you will die.

(End of this chapter)