Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 394: Enemies don’t get together

This is your business, don't try to drag me into this by saying "we are both guilty"... Li Shiji complained in his heart, looking at the silly nephew of the treacherous minister Cen Wenben in front of him with a half smile.

Although His Majesty Li Shimin's current identity is a captured reactionary leader.

But he also has another identity, that is, the biological father of the current First Sun of the Ming Dynasty.

Human relations and worldly wisdom~
Therefore, since Cen Changqian, the people of the Ming Dynasty still respected him with the courtesy of an emperor.

In order to make Li Shimin happy, even the guards of the entire Jinyang City had not been replaced and were still garrisoned by the Tang army.

The apparent reason was that the Ming and Tang sides were currently only in a state of truce and had not yet conducted substantive negotiations. The Ming army had not yet formally accepted the surrender, and Jinyang City was theoretically still under the jurisdiction of the Tang army.

In fact, it was to take into account the dignity of His Majesty Li Shimin.

Before His Majesty Li Ming arrives in person, please coax his father first and don't handle the matter on your own.

Although Cen Changqian is a tough guy, he is still very calm and experienced in handling major issues of right and wrong.

You are the only ones who are worthy of meeting the emperor... Li Shiji sneered in his heart and pretended to be helpless on the surface.

"Your Majesty's health is not good, and he just went through a great battle. He may be tired. General, how about letting Your Majesty rest first?"

Cen Changqian glanced at this famous defeated general and said:
"Is the dragon in poor health? Is he tired? When our army first entered Jinyang City, the emperor was standing tall on the top of the city wall. We were lucky enough to see him with our own eyes. We all sighed that the emperor was in good shape and still looked like a hero.

"Why do you curse the emperor so viciously? What is your intention?
"The emperor has lost his appetite. As his most trusted subordinate, why don't you kneel in front of the door and beg him to open it?"

I still say that, don’t underestimate Cen Changqian because she’s a little pretentious.

But as a professional bureaucrat who has been repeatedly beaten by Fang Xuanling, Zhangsun Wuji and others, his IQ is still online.

His series of moves left Li Shiji speechless.

Ha, noob... Xiao Cen felt the urge to press on and attack, using all his might to attack his defeated opponent.

Tap, tap, tap—there were hurried footsteps coming from behind.

Cen and Li turned their heads at the same time.

I saw a flickering fire in the stairwell at the back.

Before the two could see clearly, a burly black figure rushed in front of them and said in a low and hurried voice with a dry voice that was almost smoking:

"Our army has been defeated! Report this to His Majesty immediately!"

What? My great Ming army was invincible, how come we were defeated?
Cen Changqian was horrified and looked carefully, trying to identify the other person's identity in the dark.

Who is this guy? Which front did he retreat from? Where did he get this information? Could he be a general under Li Jing in Shuozhou?

After all, Xiao Cen was just an amphibious military man who changed careers lately, and he didn't even recognize all the people in the army.

Moreover, the other person was facing away from the light, and his entire face was shrouded in darkness, making it impossible for Cen Changqian to see his brother's appearance clearly.

One could only roughly tell from the outline that the opponent's left hand seemed a little out of coordination, and some sticky liquid was dripping down his arm.

"It's blood...are you injured?" Cen Changqian was shocked.

However, the elder brother seemed to be a little impatient. He ignored Xiao Cen's concern and raised his voice by eight degrees, almost yelling at him:
"Alas! The crisis of national destruction is imminent, why are you still hesitating, sir! Our army has suffered a great defeat, and the enemy is about to arrive at the gates of the city. The situation is critical. Please come upstairs with me and report to His Majesty immediately!"

Hearing this, Cen Changqian couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed:
"But His Majesty is not upstairs. He is on the boat. No matter how urgent it is, we can't fly over..."

By the way, why do you call me "Envoy"? I'm not the governor of Jinzhou...

"What?! His Majesty has already fled... no, boarded a ship to hunt in the north?!"

The grumpy old man seemed very surprised by this information. He was stunned for a long time, and then he slapped his forehead with sudden realization:
"As expected of your Majesty, you have foreseen today's defeat!"

Cen Changqian was puzzled when she heard this.

No, no, no. The best way to go from the Ming army base to Jinyang is to take a boat north along the Fen River. Even a three-year-old child knows this. His Majesty Li Ming’s decision would not be so shocking.

Furthermore, when, where, and how did the "defeat today" happen? Is it so serious? Even if Li Jing's gang disappeared instantly, it wouldn't be the point of "national destruction and genocide", right?
Cen Changqian was busy with the lawsuit, while Li Shiji beside her was also worried.

The brother's smokey voice might sound a little familiar, but it's unlikely to sound a little familiar.

Who is it?
Moreover, the questions and answers between the two of them always seemed to be out of sync.

The "Your Majesty" you two are talking about is the same Your Majesty?

"Wait! General, what exactly is this defeat you are talking about? What exactly happened?" Cen Changqian interrupted his impatient brother. In the dim light, he squinted his eyes and observed more vigilantly and carefully.

The old man's eyes were bloodshot, his beard was untidy, and his eye sockets were sunken. He really looked like he had just experienced a battle.

He was wearing the black armor of the Ming army, and although he didn't have a red turban, it wasn't a big problem.

But this face, I always feel that it might be a little familiar, but it is unlikely to be a little familiar...

At the same time, the other brother was also squinting his eyes and observing Xiao Cen carefully.

This civil servant is not the governor of Jinzhou, then who is he?
But Li Shiji is standing next to him, so he can’t be a bad guy, right?
"Our army was defeated in Shuozhou! Ashina Pushe was captured! Jinyang's northern barrier was broken, and the enemy army is about to march straight in!

"What? Why don't you understand?"

Seeing that Cen Changqian still seemed detached from the situation, the angry old man raised his voice little by little, and in the end it almost turned into a roar.

But Xiao Cen became more and more confused and scratched his head in confusion:

"The northern barrier has been breached... Could it be that the Turks are attacking? But haven't they already been mentally castrated?

"'Ashi' is a Turkic surname, but from what you said... he is on our side?

"Is there a tribe more powerful than the Turks further north?"

Cen Changqian was confused by what she heard, and images of snow-covered plains, burly grizzly bears, and savage and tall primitive tribes emerged in her mind.

"..." The grumpy old man looked at the other person speechlessly as he was carrying out his wild fantasy. Finally, he chose to give up on him and turned to Li Shiji who was standing next to him with an embarrassed look on his face.

"Well, forget about him! Old Xu, tell me, is this guy's intelligence accurate? Did His Majesty really go north by boat? Or is everything just his imagination?"

Hearing the word "Old Xu", Li Shiji's mouth trembled.

Lao Li's original name was Xu, and "Li" was the surname given by His Majesty Li Shimin.

The fact that they can call him Lao Xu so familiarly is that this old man wearing the black armor of the Ming army, with an injured left hand, overdrawn body and bad temper, is exactly...

Cheng Zhijie Cheng Yaojin? !

Because of the dim lighting and the fact that the other party was wearing the black armor of the Ming army and was exhausted from days of fighting, Li Shiji was afraid to confirm his brother's identity for a while.

But the name "Old Xu", the impatient temper, and the figure made Li Shiji finally determine after repeated observations.

The man in front of him was none other than one of the main generals of the Shuozhou Front Army of the Tang Dynasty, and his old buddy from Wagangzhai!

According to the latest intelligence, the Shuozhou army was defeated by Li Jing, Cheng Zhijie was injured, and Ashina She'er was missing.

It seems to fit perfectly.

This……

The situation seems a bit awkward.

Also, Lao Cheng, why are you wearing Ming army clothes?
"Ahem. Your Majesty may be on board, but it is unlikely that Your Majesty is on board..."

Li Shiji coughed dryly and tried desperately to wink at Lao Cheng.

However, in this dark and ambiguous light, the three people couldn't even recognize each other's faces.

It is indeed a bit beyond the scope to expect Cheng Zhijie to read the micro-expressions of his old comrades.

"What the hell are you talking about? Are you speaking human language?!"

When Cheng Zhijie heard this, he became even more angry. He stretched out his uninjured right hand and grabbed Li Shiji by the collar.

"Our men are in Shuozhou, fighting against the Ming bandits and shed their blood. You are not at the front line, hiding in the back of Jinyang. What are you trying to do with me?"

Li Shiji secretly groaned in his heart.

There are two suns in the sky, and I have two masters. Now we in the Tang army have two emperors, but can I tell you this in front of Cen Changqian?

"Calm down for a moment and define what 'Your Majesty' means..."

"You bastard!"

Cheng Zhijie angrily pushed his nominal boss away and roared:
"Never mind you, I'll go upstairs to see the emperor myself!

"I want to see with my own eyes where His Majesty the 'Emperor Retired' is! Is he really on a boat to hunt in the north as you said, or is he still in Jinyang Prefecture?"

Having said that, he left Li Shiji, who was looking embarrassed, and turned away.

At the stairs, he was blocked by Cen Changqian.

"Who is the 'Your Majesty' you are talking about? You might as well explain it more clearly."

The newbie who had a confused look on his face just now now has a smirk on his face.

Even if he didn't know Cheng Zhijie himself, he could more or less guess which camp this old man was on.

The chief general of the Tang army in Shuozhou, right? His defense line was breached by the military god Li Jing, so he went back to Jinyang to report the situation, right? I don't know if your leader has surrendered, right?

"What are you talking about? You, little boy, and Li Shiji as well, what's going on?"

Cheng Zhijie was still in the dark and stretched out his right hand to push the person blocking his way away:

"Get out of the way! Soldiers on the front line are still bleeding, don't delay the military mission!"

But it couldn't be pushed open.

Because behind this plain-clothed scholar stood several strong men in full armor. Black armor and red scarves were the standard attire of the Ming army.

"This is……"

This time, Cheng Zhijie was confused.

Cen Changqian's mouth corners were drawn, and she naturally posed in an unfathomable pose:

"Your Majesty, as you are called, I'm afraid it is not convenient for me to see you at the moment."

…………

"Name?"

"Your grandfather."

"gender?"

"Don't you have eyes?"

"Why is your name so strange..."

Cen Changqian took the interrogation manual "The Art of Fabricating Evidence" which was personally inscribed by His Majesty Li Ming and compiled by Lai Junchen, the head of the Suppression of Counterrevolutionaries Committee, and flipped through it left and right, then looked up in confusion.

The person being interrogated, Cheng Zhijie, was sitting opposite him, glaring at him viciously with red eyes, as if he was going to eat him alive.

It's strange. I said everything in the book, but why do I feel like the other party is not telling me the truth? Why does the prisoner answer whatever Lai Junchen asks?

The brainless Cen Changqian was confused.

On the other hand, Cheng Zhijie was unhappy and provoked him crazily:

"You can kill me or chop me up as you please. What are you waiting for, you cowards? No matter how harshly you torture me, I will not confess! Don't even think about getting a single word of information out of me!"

He looked dignified and heroic, as if he was ready to die.

Xiao Cen had a question mark on his face:
"You have all surrendered, what information do you want me to confess?"

"Oh, that's right." Cheng Zhijie scratched his head.

Alas... Li Shiji covered his eyes, too embarrassed to look at it anymore.

One is a pretentious jerk with nothing to show for it, and the other is a big mistake that led him into a trap.

It's really like the Crouching Dragon and the Phoenix Chick, they meet their worthy nemesis.

How can I compete with such an insect? It's really embarrassing...

"Ahem, Mr. Cen, please step back a little."

Li Shiji couldn't bear it any longer and coughed lightly.

"Oh……"

Xiao Cen gave up his seat obediently.

Huh... Li Shiji let out a breath, and asked curiously to the old stubborn man, his old subordinates, and his old brothers:

"How did you get in? Didn't you notice that Jinyang has changed its owner?"

Cheng Zhijie's face darkened, he turned his head and said angrily:
"Coming in from the north gate, Jinyang City was intact, and the guards were also Tang troops, so everything seemed normal.

"How could I know that the wise and brave Duke of Ying, Li Shiji, had already surrendered and was in cahoots with the rebel army?"

Every word was a thorn, which made Cen Changqian furious:
"Thief your mother..."

"Oh, forget it." Li Shiji comforted Xiao Cen.

Although he was also criticized by his subordinates, Lao Li was not annoyed and continued to ask questions without changing his expression:

"You made it all the way to the top of the city wall, and no one stopped you?
"You know, although the Tang army is still on guard, they have laid down their weapons, and the city is full of Ming army sentries."

Cheng Zhijie smiled bitterly and patted his breastplate:
“That’s how I got by.”

"By the way, where did you get this shell?"

"I peeled it off the bodies of the rebels. I didn't want to do it, but I didn't want to be captured alive, so I changed it."

"Haha, is that so."

After some usual jokes, Li Shiji said bluntly:
"It's over, Old Cheng. Surrender to the Ming army."

"I won't!" Cheng Zhijie slammed the table stubbornly.

Cen Changqian couldn't help but frown.

The general policy issued by His Majesty Li Ming was to capture as many prisoners as possible.

Therefore, the Ming army treated all prisoners with kindness regardless of their rank.

The fact that Cheng Zhijie, as a legitimate prisoner of war, could sit at the same table with the Ming admiral on an equal footing was a reflection of the magnanimity of the Ming army.

Don't be shameless...

"Old Cheng." Li Shiji secretly glanced at the admiral whose face was gradually getting red, and said calmly to his old partner:

"The Emperor has already withdrawn his troops, and the Emperor and the Crown Prince have long been captured.

"The Tang Dynasty has surrendered, Cheng Zhijie. What are you still making a fuss about?"

These words were said so bluntly that Old Cheng could not help but look away.

Yes, the leader has already led the investment, why are these younger brothers still being stubborn? Are they trying to add drama to themselves?
"But so many people died. Is it just like that..."

Old Cheng clenched his fists and uttered a few words through gritted teeth.

Li Shiji's eyes suddenly became sharp:
"That's why we have to stop the war! You've been fighting on the front lines for so long, don't you know whether you can win?

"If it weren't for the benevolence of His Majesty the Great Ming Emperor, would you and I still be sitting here and throwing tantrums?
"The Emperor Emeritus cherishes the lives of the soldiers, so he issued an edict to stop the war. If you want to die for your country, just hang yourself in a corner, and don't drag the warriors from Guanzhong to die with you!"

After this lecture, Cheng Zhijie was left speechless and blushing.

Indeed, if the Ming army really wanted to raze Jinyang City to the ground, would the Tang army be able to stop it?

You know I don’t have the ability!

As a prisoner of war, I am a little unaware of my blessings...

"You and I are both from the mountain, and we have changed our families before! You are acting like an old maid, and it's not fun!
"It's up to you whether you want to surrender or not, but the rest of your soldiers must return alive!"

Li Shiji is very domineering.

Cheng Zhijie lowered his head and said nothing.

Cen Changqian couldn't stand it anymore and whispered in Li Shiji's ear:
"Don't you think that's a bit too hurtful to him?"

"Hurt your fucking head!" Li Shiji slammed the table.

"A real man should accept defeat if he gambles. If he can't win, then he can't win. That guy was stabbed in the battlefield by Li Jing. What right does he have to shout here?"

It was his old boss who had to deal with him. Cheng Zhijie was so confused by the scolding that his voice was as thin as a mosquito:

"Stop...stop talking..."

The newly inflamed wound was constantly being rubbed with salt, and Cheng Zhijie wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Xiao Cen was sweating profusely.

The older you are, the spicier you are. Li Shiji is indeed a god of war on par with Li Jing, and a master of verbal attacks...

"Back off. I'll give you one night to figure it out."

Li Shiji waved his hand.

"Oh~"

Cheng Zhijie obediently stood up and was about to leave.

A few people suddenly broke in from outside the door.

The leader was a little old man, thin and angular.

There were four people standing behind the old man, including a bearded man, a square-faced uncle, a middle-aged worker and a young man with a red turban.

"Li Weigong!"

Cen Changqian jumped up reflexively.

"Chang Qian, thank you for your efforts in the decisive battle. His Majesty specially praised your achievements in the letter."

The jumping Xiao Cen was very eye-catching. Li Jing saw him at a glance and gave him some kind words of encouragement.

Then, his eyes caught sight of the uninvited guest beside Xiao Cen.

"You two are... are you two?!"

They were all old acquaintances, and Li Jing recognized the two old men from Wagangzhai at a glance.

Li Shiji and Cheng Zhijie nodded to him expressionlessly:

"Hello."

(End of this chapter)