Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 429 It is my good fortune to have such a loyal minister.

"I pay my respects to Your Majesty."

Inside the Li Zheng Hall.

As soon as Wen He stepped into the palace, she felt a sharp gaze fall upon her.

Looking up, I saw Li Shimin sitting upright behind his desk.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin raised his eyes, his deep gaze sweeping over Wen He before giving a wink to Gao Yue, who was standing beside the imperial desk.

Gao Yue was quick-witted and immediately understood. She turned around quietly and waved to the eunuchs and palace maids waiting in the hall.

Upon seeing this, everyone bowed and retreated, their footsteps as light as falling leaves.

Finally, Gao Yue walked to the palace gate and gently closed the heavy vermilion door.

With a "click," the door latch tightened, completely isolating the outside world from the palace.

Wen He stood in the hall with his hands at his sides, and couldn't help but feel uneasy.

After leaving Qibi's residence and returning to his own, Gao Yue rushed over with people, saying that Li Shimin had urgently summoned him.

He glanced furtively at Li Shimin behind the imperial desk, and seeing the other man slowly flipping through memorials, he quickly looked away, letting out a sigh inwardly.

"You just went to Chibi Heli's house?"

Li Shimin finally put down the vermilion brush in his hand, got up and walked down the imperial steps.

His tone was flat, revealing no emotion.

Wen He nodded honestly, a matter-of-fact expression on her face.

"Your Majesty, today is the day the Qibi tribe arrived in Chang'an. He Li has been missing his tribe for a long time, and as his teacher, I naturally have to accompany him on a home visit."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin nodded calmly and walked up to him without stopping.

His gaze swept around the hall as if searching for something, before pointing to two objects placed in the corner not far away.

"Go and move those two heel supports over here."

"Oh."

Wen He responded, but inwardly she was full of complaints.

Why not sit on the dragon throne properly? Why do you have to move this thing? Li Er just loves to cause trouble.

He strode over, picked up one of the heels, then turned back and picked up another, placing it steadily on the open ground in front of Li Shimin.

Li Shimin bent down to take it, gently placed it on the ground, sat down, patted the spot next to him, and spoke in a more casual tone.

"You sit down too."

Wen He sat down as instructed, and as soon as she was settled, she felt Li Shimin's gaze fall on her.

He looked up and met the other person's eyes.
Li Shimin spoke first, his tone tinged with contemplation.

"The Turks grow up on horseback from childhood, and their archery and horsemanship are unparalleled in the world. I have long wanted to recruit them and incorporate them into the army to strengthen the cavalry of my Great Tang."

"Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. Although the Qibi tribe took the initiative to submit, they are, after all, a nomadic tribe from the grasslands, and their customs are very different from those of our Great Tang. Their loyalty is ultimately hard to fathom."

Wen He felt a surge of joy.

They've arrived, and it turns out it was for this very reason.

But you yourself also have Xianbei blood, so you're practically 'not of our kind', aren't you?

Ohno Shimin.

He secretly grumbled to himself.

Just kidding. If he said that out loud, given Li Er's temper, he'd definitely give him a taste of the court beating.

However, he was unaware that Li Shimin had such concerns.

Was he later misled by the words "Heavenly Khan"?
Upon hearing this, Wen He pondered for a moment before revealing his plan.

"Your Majesty, we must be wary of foreign tribes, but we don't need to be overtly defensive. We can assimilate them, let them learn Han culture, wear Han clothing, and learn Han etiquette."

"Don't the Turks all like to shave their heads? Then let them tie their hair up. Those who tie their hair up can keep their heads, and those who don't can be killed. Force them to wear Han clothing and make them like us Han people. Over time, there will be no foreign race anymore, so how can there be any talk of their hearts being different?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Shimin looked at him with suspicion.

"Back then, Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty forced people to wear Han clothing, adopt Han culture, and use Han surnames. Anyone who disobeyed was killed. This is quite similar to what you are doing."

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes slightly.

If there were only one race in the world, why would he need to consider winning over other races?
Wen He said that in the future, the barbarians would call him the Heavenly Khan...

nondescript.

I still prefer the emperor!
Later, didn't that rebellious son call himself Emperor?
What achievements does he have that give him such a title?

However, that Japan to the east, such a tiny island nation, actually calls itself an emperor, which is really disgusting.

Even the name itself has become somewhat filthy.

How about calling him the Heavenly Emperor...?

He couldn't help but look up.

Wen He watched Li Shimin stroking his beard, lost in thought, and wondered what he was thinking.

He seemed quite happy.

It was unclear how much time had passed before Li Shimin finally came to his senses, shaking his head and chuckling.

"Let's not talk about that. We can discuss these things after we've pacified the north. Tell me about Qibi Heli."

But just because you ask me doesn't mean I have to tell you.
Wouldn't that make me look cheap?
He deliberately touched his chin, lowered his eyelids, and pretended to be deep in thought, as if he was seriously pondering the problem.

Seeing his expression, Li Shimin's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

He waited patiently for a moment.

But after waiting for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Wen He still looked deep in thought, without even lifting her eyelids.

"Snapped!"

Li Shimin finally lost his patience and slapped Wen He on the back of the head.

The force wasn't strong.

But it still startled Wen He.

"Your Majesty, why did you hit me for no reason?" Wen He jumped up and complained.

"Is it difficult to answer the question I asked you?" Li Shimin raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with annoyance.

"You used to speak so fluently about Fu Ji and Xuan Ling, but today when I ask you, why do you pretend not to answer?"

Startled by the slap, Wen He immediately looked up, her face showing a bewildered expression, as if she had just come out of her reverie.

"Huh? What did Your Majesty just ask?"

Are you playing dumb with me?

Li Shimin laughed.

His laughter was somewhat chilling.

"Your Majesty, as the saying goes..."

"I'll give you an extra fifty mu of land in the Forbidden Garden."

Li Shimin glanced at him sideways and said in an annoyed tone.

Wen He immediately laughed.

"Your Majesty, as the saying goes, if the ruler demands an answer, the subject has no choice but to answer. Your politeness makes me feel embarrassed."

"Then do you want it?"

"want."

No fool would want it.

Who would complain about having too much land?

Since it would just be wasted if given to others anyway, it's better to keep it for him.

If he finds potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, or other crops at sea in the future, he will have enough land to cultivate them.

"Hmph, your greedy and treacherous nature hasn't changed at all."

Li Shimin chuckled but didn't make things difficult for him further.

"Go ahead."

Wen He dropped her joking expression and became serious.

"Your Majesty wants to know about Qibi Heli's future? Of course, I will tell you everything I know."

"Qibi Heli and his uncle Qibi Gan, these two should be fine."

"There are clear records in the historical books about Qibi Heli. His loyalty to the Tang Dynasty is a model for all time. He was not only exceptionally skilled in martial arts and first-class in battle, but more importantly, he was extremely loyal to Your Majesty."

Li Shimin's expression shifted, but he said nothing.

He simply gestured for Wen He to continue.

Wen He cleared her throat and spoke slowly.

"In the original history, when Khagan Jieli attacked the Qibi tribe, many people in the tribe advocated surrendering to Jieli. It was he and Qibi Gan who overruled the objections and insisted on submitting to the Tang Dynasty, because he knew that only the Tang Dynasty could give the Qibi tribe a way out."

"After surrendering, he voluntarily came to Chang'an as a hostage. This courage and determination are not something that ordinary people can possess."

Although the timeline is largely the same as now.

However, there are still differences in the details.

In the original history, Jieli was at the height of his power.

Now, Jieli is half-crippled after the Battle of Huizhou.

“I know all of this,” Li Shimin interjected.

"But temporarily submitting for the benefit of the tribe is different from being truly loyal to the Tang Dynasty."

"Your Majesty is right."

Wen He nodded in agreement.

"But what I want to talk about is his future actions."

Historical records show that in the ninth year of the Zhenguan era, the Tang Dynasty sent troops to Tuyuhun, and Qibi Heli accompanied the army on the expedition.

"In one battle, he led several hundred cavalrymen deep into enemy territory and was surrounded by the Tuyuhun army. At that time, his subordinates advised him to surrender, saying, 'We are Hu people. Even if we surrender to Tuyuhun, we will not be in danger of losing our lives.'"

“But Qibi Heli immediately rebuked his subordinates, saying, ‘I am deeply favored by His Majesty of the Tang Dynasty, how can I betray His Majesty? Even if I die in battle, I will never surrender!’”

At this point, Wen He paused, observing Li Shimin's reaction.

Li Shimin frowned slightly.

Wen He continued.

"Later, he led his men in a fierce battle. When they ran out of arrows, they used swords to slash, and when the swords became dull, they used their fists to fight, until the main force of the Tang army arrived to rescue them."

"After the war, Your Majesty rewarded him with a large amount of gold and silver jewelry to commend his loyalty, and also wanted to marry the princess to him."

“But Qibi Heli politely declined, saying that he already had a wife on the grassland and could not abandon her for wealth. You were not angry at all, but respected his character even more.”

"There is another matter. In the sixteenth year of Zhenguan, Qibi Heli was ordered to return to the grasslands to appease his people. The Xueyantuo wanted to win over Qibi Heli to betray the Tang Dynasty, and even used his family members to blackmail him."

"The leader of the Xueyantuo told him that as long as he was willing to submit, he would be made a minor khan and share the grassland with him."

"But Qibi Heli immediately cut off his left ear and swore to the heavens, 'I, Qibi Heli, will only be loyal to His Majesty the Great Tang for the rest of my life. If I have any disloyalty, may I be like this left ear!'"

"Such a thing actually happened?" Li Shimin's eyes widened in astonishment.

Cutting off one's ear to show one's resolve is the most solemn oath on the grasslands, representing loyalty that is wagered on one's life.

He had fought for many years and seen countless loyal soldiers, but he had never heard of anyone who would go to such lengths to be loyal to a foreign monarch.

What a fine example of Qibi Heli!

It seems I didn't misjudge him!

Seeing this, Wen He was secretly delighted.

He had indeed guessed Li Er's thoughts.

What he liked most was the feeling of a scholar dying for one who understands him.

Of course, he was that confidant.

"Later, when the news reached Chang'an, Your Majesty, you immediately shed tears and said, 'He Li's loyalty to me is as clear as day.'"

"In order to rescue him, Your Majesty even used a lot of manpower and resources to negotiate with Xueyantuo, and finally brought him back to Chang'an safely."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin smiled meaningfully.

"Indeed, I will not allow loyal ministers to suffer."

He looked as if he had done it right now.

Okay, he will be him in the future.

This is indeed something Li Shimin could be proud of.

Wen He pursed her lips and continued.

"After he returned to Chang'an, Your Majesty trusted him even more and even appointed him as the Left General of the Valiant Guard. Thereafter, he followed Your Majesty in the southern and northern campaigns, pacifying Gaochang, defeating Kucha, and resisting the Turks, and made great achievements." "His sons, Qibi Ming and Qibi Guang, later also became famous generals of the Tang Dynasty, dedicating their lives to guarding the borders of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Shimin remained silent for a long time, the candlelight in the hall flickering, casting a long shadow of him.

He took a deep breath.

Since ascending the throne, he has been committed to building a Tang Dynasty that embraces all cultures.

They accepted countless foreign tribes and talented individuals who submitted to them, but they always maintained a degree of vigilance towards them.

He feared repeating the mistakes of Emperor Yang of Sui, and that these talented people from other ethnic groups might turn against him at a crucial moment.

The Turks rose to power during the late Sui Dynasty and gradually grew stronger.

Then force is applied to the inside.

In Li Shimin's view, this was all due to the indulgence of the former Sui Dynasty and the arrogance of Yang Jian and his son.

They clearly had a chance to wipe out the Turks, but they failed at the last minute.

In an effort to regain face, Yang Guang launched three campaigns against Goguryeo, which severely weakened the Central Plains and gave the barbarians on the grasslands an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

In Li Shimin's view, the Tang Dynasty inherited a huge mess from the Sui Dynasty.

Seeing Li Shimin's expression change repeatedly, Wen He was somewhat puzzled.

He didn't seem to say anything, did he? Aren't Qibi Heli's military achievements good?

Why does Li Shimin still look so angry?

He pondered for a moment, hesitating whether to continue.

Li Shimin then said, "Continue, did Qibi Heli later harbor any disloyalty towards our Tang Dynasty?"

Wen He was speechless.

"Your Majesty, do you think I would accept Qibi Heli as my student if he harbors any disloyal intentions in the future?"

Li Shimin had no doubt about this at all.

Wen He's hatred for foreign races far surpassed his own.

That's why we're having this conversation today.

Seeing that Li Shimin's brows gradually relaxed, Wen He smiled and continued speaking.

Historical records state that after your passing, Qibi Heli was overcome with grief and immediately attempted to commit suicide to follow you in death.

"The emperor at that time was Li..."

Before Wen He could finish saying the word "govern," Li Shimin's gaze had already glared at him.

His eyes were full of warning.

Seeing this, Wen He swallowed the medicine whole, chuckled twice, and continued speaking.

"Emperor Gaozong, haha, yes, Emperor Gaozong personally stopped him, saying, 'The late emperor specifically instructed you to assist me in governing the country before his death. If you die, it will be against His Majesty's last wish.'"

"That's how he gave up the idea of ​​being buried alive with his family."

"But for many years afterward, he always wore plain clothes, and every year on the anniversary of His Majesty's death, he would stay alone in the ancestral hall, neither eating nor drinking, until dawn."

"Snapped!"

Li Shimin suddenly stood up, kicking his heel off his buttocks.

"A loyal and virtuous minister! This is a true loyal and virtuous minister!"

His eyes were a little red.

These words struck Li Shimin like a thunderbolt.

His body trembled slightly with excitement, his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white from the force.

To be buried alive with the dead—what profound loyalty that is!

Even his most trusted advisors, such as Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui, might not have been able to achieve this.

If this brat in front of him knew of his death, he would at most shed a few tears.

He fought his entire life and witnessed countless people betray their monarchs for power and wealth.

He never imagined that a general from another race would be so loyal to him, even willing to die for him.

What loyalty and righteousness!

The hall was silent except for Li Shimin's heavy breathing.

After a long while, he slowly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a complex light, a mixture of emotion and relief.

"Truly a pillar of our Great Tang Dynasty!"

Li Shimin took a deep breath, his tone full of emotion and solemnity, his voice even slightly choked with emotion.

"To have such a loyal minister is my good fortune, and even more so the good fortune of the Tang Dynasty!"

Seeing how excited he was.

Wen He was stunned.

So all that was said before was for nothing?

He has done so many great deeds, yet you don't feel excited at all.

You almost cried because he was going to die with you.

As a person from later generations, Wen He naturally could not understand Li Shimin's feelings at this moment.

"A scholar will die for one who understands him."

He let out a long sigh.

Wen He opened her mouth, about to continue speaking.

Li Shimin waved his hand at him, interrupting him.

"There's no need to say more. I already know what kind of person he is, but I'm not trying to force things."

He paused suddenly and turned to look at Wen He.

“He is now your student, and I believe he will do better than anyone in history.”

This is not a statement, but rather Li Shimin asking Wen He a question.

"Will do!"

Wen He nodded with a very serious expression.

"Hmm, alright, I understand. You may leave." Li Shimin turned his back and walked towards the imperial steps.

His steps were a little unsteady.

Is it really necessary to be this excited?
Wen He didn't think it was that bad, but Li Shimin clearly seemed to be in a very good mood.

He just said that he wouldn't force things to grow too fast.

That means he won't promote Qibi Heli prematurely just because of what happened today.

But Wenhe always felt that Li Er wouldn't handle things lightly.

Perhaps he couldn't resist giving Qibi Heli a treat.

Sure enough, the court meeting had just ended the next day.

Gao Yue hurriedly left the palace and went to Qibi Heli's residence.

"His Majesty has appointed Qibi Heli as the Viscount of Xiangwu County and also appointed him as the Khan of the Qibi tribe."

Outside the Zuowuwei training ground.

Wen He happened to run into Qin Qiong and Cheng Zhijie, who were leaving court.

It was said that Li Shimin had issued an edict during the court meeting just now.

This was the first time the Tang Dynasty had bestowed a title upon a Turk.

And it's even from Xiangwu!

It's no wonder they were so surprised, because the person who previously received the title of Xiangwu was named Li Chen.

He was Li Yuan's cousin.

However, Li Chen has already passed away, and although his son Li Jian inherited the title, it was revoked last year after the reduction of the imperial clan.

Xiangwu is a special place, belonging to Longxi County, Weizhou, Longyou Circuit.

That's right, it's the Longxi Li family from Longxi.

Moreover, Xiangwu was the seat of Longxi Commandery.

Normally, such titles would not be given to officials.

Wen He remembered that after Liu Shili attacked the Dangxiang Po Chou clan in Hexi, he was enfeoffed as the Duke of Xiangwu.

He was also the first person who was not from the Li family to receive this title.

But now His Majesty has actually assigned him to Qibi Heli.

This shows how high Li Shimin's expectations were for him.

"Jiaying, what did His Majesty say to you when you entered the palace yesterday? Why did he suddenly grant Qibi Heli the title of a county magistrate?"

Qin Qiong was puzzled. Even if Xiangwu was special, shouldn't he at least be a county duke?

Not to mention him, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and others were also startled during the court meeting just now.

The main problem is that not only were he given a title, but he was also made Khan.

Doesn't this mean that the Khan of the Turks was the same as a county in the Tang Dynasty?

Your Majesty is not worried that the Turks will think this is an insult to them.

Upon hearing this, Wen He couldn't help but chuckle.

“Duke Yi, His Majesty is treating Qibi Heli as one of our Great Tang people. As for the Qibi Khan, it is also to reassure the Qibi tribe. Besides, I am just a county magistrate.”

There are students whose titles exceed those of their teachers.

Of course, that's what I said, but I still need to explain it.

Otherwise, the Qibi tribe probably wouldn't have thought of this.

But let's talk about that after he gets back.

Qin Qiong and Cheng Zhijie were still somewhat suspicious and did not understand why His Majesty's change of heart had come so suddenly.

But they knew their place, and they didn't want to get involved in these court affairs.

They have more important things to do today.

"By the way, where's Big Black? We left the palace together just now, where did he go?"

Cheng Zhijie then realized that Yuchi Gong was missing.

"That old black man hasn't come to discuss the selection of a candidate with my second brother these past few days. Could it be that he's really become smug since becoming the Duke of Wu?!"

His voice is quite loud; you can hear him shouting from dozens of steps away.

And just as he finished speaking...

A sudden, rapid hoofbeats came from afar, followed by a cloud of dust rising nearby.

Qin Qiong's brows immediately furrowed.

His seasoned experience on the battlefield made him tense up instantly, and his hand unconsciously went to the sword at his waist.

Based on his experience...

The cavalry in front of us numbered at least a hundred.

Behind him, at the gate of the Left Guard Camp, dozens of soldiers wielding crossbows appeared and quickly surrounded the three of them.

"Cheng Yaojin, I've arrived!"

A loud shout came from ahead.

Wen He was shocked to see a tall wall rising on the horizon not far away, and that wall was rapidly heading towards him.

He immediately picked up the binoculars.

Sure enough, the cavalry in front were using the wall-riding tactic he had previously improved.

Cheng Zhijie's eyes widened instantly, and he roared!
"You dare to steal my skills without ever keeping quiet!"

"You shameless bastard!"

Qin Qiong didn't speak, but simply raised his hand silently.

"Shh!"

Suddenly, the dozens of crossbowmen behind him quickly cocked their crossbows, raised them, and aimed them at Yuchi Jingde, who was coming this way.

Military Law of the Tang Dynasty.

Anyone who trespasses on military grounds—death!

Not far away, Yuchi Gong, who was heading this way, naturally saw what was happening before him.

His eyes widened suddenly, like an angry Vajra in a temple!

(End of this chapter)