The Bad Guys: Playing the Fake Li Xingyun at the Beginning

"The emperor has given me a mission. I must ensure that the imperial court obtains a clean Hedong!"

Li Cunxin raised his eyebrows, and understood something from this sentence, "What does your majesty mean?" As he said this, he stretched out his hand and put it across his neck.

Seeing this, Li Siyuan nodded silently.

Chapter 267 Just what I want

The two brothers looked at each other and reached a common goal at this moment: Li Congke must die. If he didn't die, how could Li Siyuan shut everyone up and please the emperor?

He has a nominal title with His Majesty the Emperor!

"Come on, let's drink!" Li Siyuan picked up the wine glass and said drunkenly.

At this moment, a spy from the Tongwenguan dressed in white came in. Just as he was about to report quietly beside Li Cunxin, he was scolded by him, "You speak so softly, can't you see my brother is here! Speak louder!"

The spy was startled, and his voice suddenly rose several degrees, "Reporting to the Holy Lord, Master, Li Congke left the Jiedushi Mansion an hour ago and is currently missing."

Li Siyuan narrowed his eyes, his expression did not change at all.

Hearing this, Li Cunxin's expression changed and he nodded slowly, "You go down first."

After the spy left, Li Cunxin drank the remaining wine in the cup and looked at Li Siyuan, "Brother, that guy is about to start moving."

Li Siyuan slowly filled his glass with wine, a playful smile flashed in his eyes, "Isn't this exactly what I want? The reason why I didn't show him any mercy the day I came back was for this step."

"Short-sighted people can only see the immediate benefits, but ignore the dangers. The water is too deep, and Ke'er is too young to grasp it. Let us, the elders, teach him the last lesson!"

"Brother is right. Only if he takes action can we have a legitimate reason to act."

……

In the eleventh month of winter in the first year of Hongwu.

Luoyang held the first special examination since the founding of the country, which was also the second imperial examination of the year.

Since the announcement of the special examination, scholars from all over the country have heard the news and gathered in Luoyang. Although it is a cold winter, the prospect of imperial examination fame is exciting.

Compared with the civil examination, the military examination seemed not so impressive. This time, Su Ming specially appointed generals of the imperial guards to be examiners for the military examination, with Li Wentong as the chief examiner and Shi Jingtang as the deputy examiner.

Although Shi Jingtang had a bad reputation, before he became an emperor, he was Li Siyuan's right-hand man. He made great contributions to both the Tang Dynasty founded by Li Cunxu and the Tang Dynasty after Li Siyuan ascended the throne. He was also a rare brave general in the world.

There were many people who took part in the military examination, but many of them were men with great martial arts skills and who had experienced many battles on the battlefields. Few of them were talented leaders who had read military strategies and knew how to lead troops in battle.

Su Ming and Li Wentong had considered this a long time ago. They recruited all the young men who were healthy, strong and capable into the imperial guards to prevent them from getting involved in the martial arts examination and causing a joke.

Most of these people came here just to join the army and get food, and they didn't understand the significance of the military examination. However, the imperial court is in need of people right now, so it's just right.

Those who take part in the military examination will be screened a second time to avoid missing out on the important imperial examination.

In the end, the imperial guards recruited another 5,000 people. After the second screening, there were only 1,000 people left who could participate in the military examination, which was far inferior to the civil examination.

On the school field.

Su Ming and a group of generals sat on the high platform, watching the candidates taking the exam below.

The flags are hunting and fluttering in the wind.

The candidates first did weightlifting, horseback archery in batches, and then came the actual combat exercises. The candidates' weapons were varied, and the examiners classified them into different categories, pitted them against each other, scored them and ranked them.

Most of these candidates were strong men who were nine feet tall and had muscular bodies. Some were ugly, but Su Ming did not care about these. In the battlefield, the enemy would not care whether you were good-looking or not. What was the point of being so beautiful?

The examination lasted for three days. As for Wen Ju, Su Ming handed the matter over to Li Cunli and asked the empress to keep an eye on it for him.

Now is different from before. We have people at our disposal and there is no need to do everything ourselves. Emperors like Qin Shihuang and Zhu Yuanzhang are model workers, but ordinary people cannot learn from them.

After coming into this world, he has been living in fear for more than a year. Now that he is finally free from the pressure of life and death, can't he enjoy himself?

On the high platform, Su Ming sat on a chair. One of the three holy ladies massaged his shoulders, one massaged his legs, and another held a heater. Although he was no longer afraid of cold or heat, he still had to do what he needed.

"There are quite a few talented young men who are suitable for practicing horizontal martial arts, just like Li Cunxiao in the past." Su Ming has excellent eyesight and he saw at a glance that there were several strong men with extraordinary heights and physiques on the training ground.

Li Wentong smiled and said, "Your Majesty is right. These people are all promising talents. If they are handed over to me for training, within three years, they will surely become another group of powerful generals."

Su Ming glanced around and sighed, "It's easy to get thousands of soldiers, but it's hard to find good generals. Let's take a look at their military and civil strategies, and their ability to lead troops in drills. No matter how brave they are on the battlefield, they can only defeat a thousand or ten thousand people. At best, they can be Xiang Yu."

"What I need are generals, talents like Han Xin and Li Weigong. Unfortunately, such people are hard to come by once in a century. For an ordinary person, being able to lead 5,000 soldiers without making any mistakes is already a rare talent."

"Your Majesty, you are joking. The talents of military geniuses and gods are not only rare in a century. Their ability to lead troops is beyond the reach of us even if we flatter them. I only hope that in the future military examinations, such talents can be selected for Your Majesty." Shi Jingtang added hurriedly.

"Okay, you guys will take the assessment on the next troop drill. I won't watch it." After staying here for three days, Su Ming was a little bored. He waved his hand and left with a group of guards.

……

This winter, the north is bustling with activity, while the south seems dull.

There is a nominal imperial court in the north. Although the military governors of various places have not submitted letters of allegiance to the court and have been brought under its rule, no one dares to challenge it.

In contrast, the South was divided into large and small forces, no one of which was submissive to the other, and there was no vassal state with a say.

When the news of the Longquan treasure was known to the princes of various countries that day, they immediately lost their enthusiasm. Even if they had ambitions, they were crushed to pieces.

Yuan Tiangang, who has lived for more than three hundred years, is already powerful enough. Now there is an even more powerful emperor. How can they survive?

Apart from anything else, once the northern court launched a war of unification, directly sending Yuan Tiangang to attack the heads of state of various countries would be enough to leave them leaderless.

Chengdu Prefecture in Shu.

Wang Yan sat on the dragon throne, his eyes blurry from drunkenness, his fat face pale and his eyes dark, it was obvious that his body had been hollowed out by alcohol and sex.

He looked at Zhang Ge, whose hair and beard were all white, with his drunken eyes, and asked, "Master Zhang, the state is in trouble, what should I do?"

Zhang Ge was silent for a while. "Your Majesty, the momentum of the Tang Dynasty's revival is unstoppable. The emperor today is wise and powerful, comparable to Emperor Taizong. The Shu region can only be in peace for a few years at most. It cannot even unify the Shu region, let alone the northern expedition to the Central Plains."

"Your Majesty, this is all I have to say. Please be careful."

Zhang Ge was an old minister left behind by Wang Jian. He had witnessed the struggle for supremacy between Jin and Liang in the Central Plains, so he fled to Shu. He was knowledgeable and understood the general situation of the world better.

Chapter 268 Survival by cutting off the tail

The Kingdom of Shu can only last a few more years at most, and will definitely not be able to withstand the military attack from the Central Plains. This is something that anyone with a discerning eye can see.

What's more, Wang Jian had betrayed Emperor Zhaozong and established his own regime in Shu, which dealt a heavy blow to the broken system of the imperial court.

Relying on the imperial army, Wang Jian ruled a region and served as the King of Shu for more than ten years. Thinking about it now, it is terrifying.

The Bad Guys' undercover agents are all over the world. Even Zhu Wen's Bianliang was taken over by the Bad Guys, and the Xuanming Sect has become a joke. But what about the Shu Kingdom?

The late king led the imperial army into Shu. How many bad people were lurking among them?

He couldn't even think about this question.

Wang Yan burped, and a helpless and desolate look appeared on his fat face. "Master Zhang, I understand. You can leave first."

Zhang Ge bowed and slowly withdrew. As soon as he stepped out of the hall, he heard a sigh from behind, "Heaven does not bless my Shu Kingdom. What can I do? What can I do!"

As a monarch, Wang Yan was undoubtedly unqualified, or in other words, among all the forces that controlled Shu, there were few who were capable of pioneering, enterprising, wise and brave.

Wang Yan sat on the throne, the clear wine went down his throat, but it didn't taste the same as before, and the corners of his mouth were full of bitter smiles, "Well, this Shu land originally belonged to the court. My Wang family has occupied it for decades, and it's time to give it back."

His voice was filled with desolation and confusion. If possible, he really wanted to be an unrestrained king, but now in order to save his life, he had to cut off his tail to survive.

Otherwise, when the imperial army arrives, it will be too late to settle old and new grudges together.

……

Luoyang was already lively enough as the Spring Festival was approaching and people were getting rid of the old and welcoming the new. With the imperial examination, scholars from all over the country gathered here, making Luoyang even more prosperous.

During this time, Su Ming simply ordered the cancellation of the curfew, and the streets were filled with the joy of the twelfth lunar month.

However, for court officials, the closer the New Year is, the busier they become. Add to that the imperial examinations, and the entire court is almost running at full capacity.

After that day, Yuan Tiangang checked many records and finally compiled the information of the bad guys and submitted it.

In the main hall, looking at the dozen large boxes placed in front of him, Su Ming secretly clicked his tongue. It was no wonder that the Outlaws had been passed down for three hundred years. The personnel information alone was more than that of the court officials.

Then, he had Shi Yao called over and instructed, "Shi Yao, this is the list Yuan Tiangang sent over. You and Jing Xinmo go through it together and select some reliable people. I will recruit them as appropriate."

She bowed slightly, her manners graceful and elegant, "Shi Yao, I will obey your command!" Her gentle voice was full of magnetism, like water.

"Have you dealt with the Longquan treasure?"

"Your Majesty, 30% has been transported to the Emperor's inner treasury, and 70% has been sealed in the national treasury."

Su Ming nodded and stared into her eyes. "Okay, I'm relieved now that the Longquan treasure is stored in the warehouse. Tell me what you want, and I will do my best to satisfy you."

"Your Majesty, Shi Yao does not dare to expect any requests. I only hope that Your Majesty can unify the world as soon as possible, eliminate wars, and bring peace to the people of the world."

Su Ming was stunned on the spot. He didn't expect that Shi Yao's request was just this. "I understand. Don't worry. This day will not be too far away. I won't keep you waiting for long."

Feeling the sincerity in Su Ming's words, Shi Yao pursed her lips and immediately knelt on the ground, "Shi Yao, on behalf of all the bad people, kowtows to thank His Majesty."

"Be flat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Go."

After she left, Su Ming sighed softly, feeling very complicated. Compared with the desires of ambitious people, what Shi Yao just said was what ordinary people wanted.

In fact, the people don’t ask for much. As long as they can fill their stomachs and stay healthy, that’s enough. Unfortunately, this is often just a luxury.

Even if there are no natural disasters, there will be man-made disasters. A small decision made by meat eaters can often affect the lives of tens of millions of people. Many times, they can't even get enough food and clothing, they are just trying to stay alive.

But just living is difficult enough.

At this moment, a familiar figure appeared outside the hall.

Su Ming took a quick glance and returned to his seat, "Come in."

"Your Majesty, there is a secret letter coming from the southwest from some bad people." Yuan Tiangang stood ten feet away from him and reported respectfully.

Su Ming stretched out his hand and took the letter in his hand, opening it and reading it carefully. When he saw the words inside, his eyes widened immediately, "Shu Kingdom wants to surrender to the Tang Dynasty?"

"Yes, according to the message sent by the Bad People, King Wang Yan of Shu is secretly planning with his ministers to surrender to the Tang Dynasty, and will send an envoy to submit a surrender letter soon."

"What on earth are the King of Shu and his men thinking? They surrendered without the imperial court sending a single soldier?" Su Ming was a little confused. Instead of being good princes, they surrendered directly to the imperial court. What did this mean?

So careless?

If you want to surrender, you should at least wait until you have control over Hedong and Qi State and the situation is clear before surrendering. If you do this, others will think you are fixing the game.

Yuan Tiangang's eyes flickered for a moment, and he explained, "Your Majesty, don't forget that you obtained the Longquan treasure a few months ago, and the imperial seal was recovered. Shu was originally weak, and the Shu ruler Wang Yan had no ambition and indulged in pleasure, which led to the decline of the country."

"On the other hand, although our Great Tang only has a small territory, it has the potential to rise to the sky and prosper day by day. All the princes and vassal states are afraid of it. Shu is just a beginning. In the future, there may be more."

"Besides, Wang Yan's father, Wang Jian, betrayed the trust of the late emperor and claimed to be the king of Shu. Although Wang Jian is dead, the crime of deceiving the emperor still exists. If he wants to survive, he has no choice but to surrender."

Is this over?