Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 328: Touching Reunion of Father and Son

"What the hell, Your Majesty?!"

Xue Wanche saw clearly who was coming from the city wall and couldn't help but exclaim.

Qibi Heli's face suddenly changed, and he scolded in a low voice:
"You bastard! What are you going to do to His Majesty... Hey hey hey hey what the hell, Your Majesty?!"

He also saw what Xue Wanche saw, and his body involuntarily tensed up.

His Majesty Li Shimin!
He actually led the army personally to the front line!
Facing his old leader, Qibi Heli was so ashamed that he wished he could crawl into the ground. Even the heartless Xue Wanche subconsciously hid himself behind the parapet, praying that Emperor Li Shimin would not discover him.

Both of them are now rebel generals, they should have some shame.

Li Ming's eyes never left the observation hole. He remained motionless, like a sculpture, with slightly red eye sockets.

After a moment, he whispered to himself:
"My father is sick."

What? The Emperor is ill?! Isn't he jumping around and full of energy? Old Xue and Qibi secretly suspected it, mustered up their courage, and shamelessly peeked down.

After observing carefully for a while, they discovered that the condition of the Emperor Emeritus of the Tang Dynasty was indeed a little strange.

Li Shimin rode a two-wheeled chariot of the Spring and Autumn style, pulled by six horses of uniform fur, with an exaggeratedly gorgeous canopy on top. On his left and right, Guo Xiaoke drove the chariot for him, and Ashina She'er drew the bow for him.

It is totally in line with Zhou rites.

Li Shimin held the horizontal bar called "heng" at the front of the carriage with his hand, his face was ruddy, and he looked much more energetic than before he retired.

But a closer look reveals that his left and right halves of the body seem out of balance.

"It's rumored that the emperor has contracted a stroke... Is that rumor true?!"

Qibi Heli murmured.

Xue Wanche blurted out:

"I really can't tell at first glance. If someone hadn't reminded me..."

As soon as he said this, he realized that he had said the wrong thing. Under Qibi Heli's almost swallowing gaze, he slapped his own mouth desperately.

To outsiders like them, the emperor is just his boss.

But to His Majesty Li Ming, he is his biological father!

How could the slightest change in his father escape his son’s eyes?
Li Ming's chest heaved violently, he said nothing, and his eyes became redder and redder.

He couldn't remember the last time he saw his father.

Was it probably the day when the army set out to attack Xueyantuo?
Although after that day, the father and son fought each other for many rounds and had become old rivals.

But that is different from being face to face, it is different...

And at the foot of the city, Li Shimin seemed to feel the gaze of his youngest son among countless eyes of awe or surprise.

His eyes suddenly softened, and all the fierceness and majesty disappeared, leaving only kindness.

But it only lasted for a moment.

The two men's positions are directly hostile.

It was destined that this was not the long-awaited reunion of father and son.

Li Shimin's heart was in turmoil, and all kinds of complicated emotions were surging like a black tide.

But he suppressed it forcefully.

He regained his previous momentum, his eyes were calm and he looked intimidating without even getting angry.

Guo Xiaoke drove the car and slowly approached the towering Yanzhou city wall.

The Tang army soldiers set up a shield wall and escorted them all the way.

Obviously there is something to be said.

"Don't act rashly, don't draw your bow and arrow, and don't make any disrespectful gestures towards the emperor!"

Xue Wanche ordered in a low voice.

In fact, he didn't need to say much, as the only dozens of soldiers present had no intention of adding to the drama.

This is a matter of life and death. We are all smart. Who would shoot an arrow at the head of the big leader's father?

Even if the leader didn't blame them, the ferocious Tang army under the city would really go crazy and rush onto the city wall.

Hiss... Li Ming took a deep breath, cheered himself up, and stood out from behind the wall with confidence.

On the other side, Li Shimin's carriage had slowly stopped at the gate of Yanzhou City.

The father and son were facing each other, close enough that they could hear each other's words.

Li Ming looked down at the emperor who had left his name in history. He tried to curl up the corners of his mouth, put on a disdainful smile, and said with a fake smile:
"Grandpa, the weather is so cold, why don't you come up and sit for a while?"

Li Shimin raised his head at the foot of the city wall, looking up at his unfilial son, and naturally started to criticize him:
"Cold ass! I'm still strong and healthy. I can push you, the little rebel, into the piss bucket with my own hands without any problem!"

Li Ming stood directly on the wall and spread his hands:
"Hehe, I'm right here, I won't dodge or avoid you. If you want to catch me, you have to come here yourself. You know the rules."

Li Shimin's mouth twitched and he sighed:

"How many times have we fought each other?"

"It's hard to say. It seems like we have been fighting since we separated." Li Ming unconsciously felt a little melancholy.

Li Shimin's tone became stern:

"Do you know that every time you and I fight, countless good men will die in vain?

"Why are you rebelling? Do you really want to be the emperor? Do you really want to cause great suffering to all the people in the world before you give up?!"

Every word was powerful and struck deeply into the hearts of everyone in the Ming Dynasty.

This is what Li Shimin really said.

He must have been wrong. Why didn't he realize before that this youngest boy wanted to improve so much?
When other princes wanted to ascend to the throne, they simply resorted to palace conspiracies, assassinations and frame-ups.

How could he do that? He directly established a country of his own and started a full-scale war with his original motherland!
Li Ming answered without any shame:

"My experience in Liaodong made me realize that reform has its limits. Dust will not fly away by itself if you don't sweep it with a broom. If we don't completely break the old order, the ghosts of the old world will continue to interfere with our decision-making..."

Li Shimin frowned: "What do you want to say?"

"Some blood has to be shed, Li Er!" Li Ming suddenly raised his voice, without a trace of superficial respect left:
"I am fighting a civil war not only for myself, but for the whole world! In the course of this war, I will gradually remove the soil of the old world and lay the foundation for the new world!"

"You know what? If we don't carry out a massive purge, the aristocratic families will sooner or later make a comeback. Within a hundred years, the whole country will be riddled with holes!"

"You, a big borer, have now eaten away the Tang Dynasty to pieces!"

Li Shimin interrupted angrily:
"I don't have time to listen to your nonsense. I'll give you one last chance - surrender, admit defeat, and return to Chang'an to apologize to your brothers!
"While there is still room for recovery."

Li Ming curled his lips and laughed sincerely:

"Reconciliation? Are you kidding me at this moment, Li Er?"

"Yes, I was just joking. Now I know you can't turn back." Li Shimin said bluntly:

"I'm just giving you a heads up. Don't blame me for being too ruthless when the time comes.

"I already have a bad reputation for killing my brother and forcing my father, so adding one more thing won't hurt."

These words seemed to emit a chilling chill, instantly dropping the temperature around them to freezing point.

No one on the city wall dared to say a word.

Only Li Ming looked calm and fearlessly smiled:

"I still say the same thing, if you want something, just come and get it yourself."

Li Shimin curled the left corner of his mouth.

"I'll be here, just wait for me."

After the pre-war trash talk session, Guo Xiaoke drove his car back to the Tang army, surrounded by his fierce and powerful troops.

"That traitor is so shameless and unreasonable!" Ashina She'er was so angry that his whole body was shaking.

"Your Majesty, we are fully prepared and can attack at any time!" Guo Xiaoke gritted his teeth.

But His Majesty did not answer them.

Li Shimin looked back more than once, watching Li Ming's figure on the city wall gradually disappear into the distance.

Seeing this, Guo Xiaoke and Ashina She'er no longer dared to diss Li Ming behind his back. They looked at each other, confusion written all over their faces.

Why, His Majesty the Emperor doesn't seem to be very angry about Li Ming's rebellion... As if hearing the doubts in the hearts of the two, Li Shimin asked back:
"Have you ever thought about this question: why did Li Ming want to cause chaos now instead of waiting for my death?
"Is he afraid that he can't afford it?"

Lao Guo and Ashina lowered their heads at the same time, not daring to answer this fatal question.

But they knew clearly that the longer the situation dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for Li Ming.

The Ming Dynasty's national strength is growing day by day, which is obvious to all.

Although the Tang Dynasty also made efforts to suppress the powerful, how much effect it really had is a matter of opinion.

In a sense, it is true as Li Ming just said, if reform is not absolute, then there will be absolutely no reform.

In addition to the increase and decrease in power between the Ming Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty "between countries", there is also the balance of power between Li Ming and Li Shimin "between people".

From the most cold-blooded point of view, as long as the emperor dies, the Tang Dynasty will lose its backbone and the political situation will fall into chaos and turmoil.

As long as Li Ming can delay until that time, and then go south to beat up the Tang Dynasty, wouldn't that be easy and enjoyable?

Why go to all this trouble?

"Perhaps, he doesn't want me to die in an era when the world is falling apart."

Li Shimin gave a faint smile.

Guo Xiaoke and Ashina She'er were silent and did not dare to respond.

"'If you want the world, come and take it'... so he really did come and take it, from me and no one else.

"That guy is really stubborn."

Li Shimin's lips moved slightly and his voice was soft, not as fierce as when he challenged him just now.

"What Li Er? This nickname is really ugly..."

…………

On the city wall, Li Ming stared at Li Shimin's back until the carriage carrying his father gradually disappeared from his sight.

Swearing in the streets is work, while a loving father and filial son are life.

But when two armies confront each other, it is a matter of life and death.

It might not be appropriate to have a touching father-son reunion in public.

No matter what the true feelings between the father and son are, this is the only way it can end.

That's what politics is like.

"Your Majesty, don't be too sad. Your father has treated you like that anyway. He has ignored you for so many years, and you have done so many things for him. It would be better for you, the eldest son, to accompany him on a trip abroad..."

Xue Wanche tried to comfort Li Ming, but the words that came out of his mouth were so unpleasant to hear...

Li Ming slowly raised his head and stared at him, his face expressionless except for his red eyes.

Xue Wanche suddenly felt a chill running down his spine.

"You rude bastard!"

Qibi Heli shouted loudly, rushed to Xue Wanche, and swung his arm at his face.

Lao Xue was lying on the ground, thinking that he had been beaten black and blue.

Li Ming sighed quietly and waved to the sturdy Turkic man:
"Alright, alright, stop fighting, don't let anyone get killed. Lao Xue's intention was good, but he just said it the wrong way."

Qibi Heli was riding on Xue Wanche, grabbing him by the collar, and angrily threw him to the ground, shouting:
"If you continue to talk nonsense, I will not forgive you!"

Li Ming smiled bitterly:
"What he said was not nonsense."

Under the petrified gazes of the two men, Li Ming walked down the city wall dejectedly like a deflated ball.

"It's time to call it a day. The Tang army will not attack today. We can challenge them tomorrow."

Only when his short figure disappeared beyond the stairs did Xue Wanche breathe a sigh of relief and thanked his old friend with lingering fear:
"Thank you for helping me out."

At the moment when Li Ming targeted him, he inexplicably felt as if he was being stared at by a ferocious beast and that his head and body might be torn apart at any time.

This may not be an illusion.

"Pooh!"

Qibi Heli spat, got off Xue Wanche, and sat on the ground panting.

"You are even more barbaric than the barbarians! Han Feizi's 'Distance should not separate relatives'... Forget it, I don't think you have heard of it.

"If you casually interfere with the father-son relationship of an ordinary family, they will fight you to the death, let alone the imperial family!
“You…you, you!”

He pointed at Xue Wanche with disappointment and was so angry that he couldn't speak for a long time.

Xue Wanche had also calmed down and muttered:

"I know, I know. If it weren't for His Majesty Li Ming's magnanimity, I would have died tens of thousands of times already..."

…………

The main force of the Tang army also arrived at the city of Yanzhou together with His Majesty Li Shimin.

This group of tough guys practiced formations outside the city gate every day, sometimes forming an S shape, sometimes forming a B shape.

The Ming Dynasty civil engineers who were working in the city and on the city walls were very disgusted with the other side's arrogant behavior.

"Damn it, those Guanlong guys should stop bullying us!"

"Isn't it just following orders and standing in line? As if no one can do that!"

"When I went up the mountain to mine and went down the well, wasn't it more dangerous than on the battlefield?"

The working people were aroused by the enemy's provocation. They rolled up their sleeves and were eager to go out of the city to fight the enemy in hand-to-hand combat.

The foreman scolded:
"Don't be silly! You are the only ones who want to fight? Do you understand your majesty's intention?

"Work hard and build Wengcheng as early as possible, which will be more effective than anything else!"

The enthusiasm of the craftsmen was dampened and they were very indignant, but they still returned to their jobs obediently.

They felt that compared with the legendary main force of the Tang army, they still had a great advantage.

The organization and discipline of the working class are no joke.

Soldiers are a group of people who cooperate with each other for the same goal, and so are workers; soldiers obey orders, and workers also obey orders.

Workers are the best source of recruits. To round it off, workers are the best soldiers.

What's more, in order to make the show complete, every worker in Yanzhou was even given a set of armor. That was real iron armor that was very expensive in other places!
With organization, discipline and equipment, the working class can easily defeat the soldiers and farmers living in the city!
"drink!"

The Tang army outside the city shouted in unison.

After the warm-up, they started the day's business.

Thousands of people, as if directed by the same brain, changed smoothly from drill formation to marching formation. The scene was spectacular and breathtaking.

"Drink! Drink!"

The Tang army did not make any unnecessary moves, but simply advanced towards the Yanzhou city gate in neat formations.

But this simple and unpretentious action is so powerful, like the mountains and the sea, that it shakes the heart.

Every step taken by the Tang army struck a chord with the Ming craftsmen.

This time they kept silent and just worked hard.

What kind of war is this? Ah, what kind of war is this? I only earn a few hundred coins a month. What kind of life is this?
…………

In a wooden and stone structure tower that looks like a watchtower.

Li Ming listened to the noise outside and read the documents, complaining:
"They really don't mind being tired. They do this every day."

Xue Wanche and Qibi Heli were not so relaxed.

"Your Majesty, please stop saying such sarcastic words!"

Xue Wanche changed his swear words, but only slightly.

Qibi Heli also had a sad face: