Late Tang

In Liu Yunniang's eyes, her husband Li Ke's newly cast crown was like a heavy mountain, pressing heavily on his head.

For hundreds of years, the Shatuo clan, from the Turks to Tubo, and finally to Li Tang, have always been the vassals and thugs of the strong.Each generation of Shatuo patriarchs, while attached to the strong, hoped to lead Shatuo to rise.Shatuo established themselves as a country, owning a piece of kingdom territory completely belonging to them, which is the dream of countless generations of Shatuo patriarchs.Since the fall of the Turks, Shatuo has been oppressed by Tubo, and finally moved thousands of miles to Li Tang. For several generations, he has continued to fight for Li Tang and began to become stronger.

Today, thanks to the efforts of Li Guochang and his son, the people of Shatuo finally had their own real territory when Li Keyong was around, and the leader of Shatuo was also crowned king.

Li Keyong was not only the King of Yanmen County awarded by Li Tang, but also the Shatuo King of the Shatuo people.

Today, Li Guochang was finally sent back to Yanmen by Li Tang, and returned to the Shatuo tribe.Li Tang sent Li Guochang back, hoping to use Shatuo's power to defeat Huang Chao.However, as soon as Li Guochang returned to Yanmen Town, he directly slaughtered the court envoy who escorted him back.Then, Li Guochang gave his son Li Keyong a Shatuo crown that he carried with him on his head.

The Shatuo people have never had their own real kingdom, but the Shatuo people have always had a crown passed down from generation to generation.As early as hundreds of years ago, when the Shatuo people were still following the Turkic people, the Shatuo people had already invited the most famous craftsmen in the West to make a crown.For hundreds of years, Shatuo has experienced ups and downs, but this crown has been passed down from generation to generation.But for a long time, only the patriarch Shatuo knew the story of the Shatuo crown, and everyone else had heard the story of the crown, but no one had seen it.But today, Li Guochang really took out the crown and crowned his son himself.

This crown, made by the most famous blacksmith in the Western Regions, is just like the legend in the past. The crown is made of gold, engraved with ancient Turkic characters, completely in the style of the land of Taixi, and has nine fang-shaped crystal clear and hard gemstones. Spikes stand on it.This crown has gold as the base and is inlaid with jewelry decorations. The golden light is shining, but it is strong and sharp.After the crown was cast, the head of the Shatuo tribe died in the Turkic civil war. Since then, no one has really worn the crown.Today, Li Guochang personally crowned his son Li Keyong, witnessed by countless Shatuo soldiers from Yanmen.

Today's Yanmen Town is very lively. The emperor who was far away in Chengdu not only sent Li Guochang back to Yanmen, but also sent an angel with a commendation decree. Li Keyong's generals were generously rewarded, and Li Keyong was awarded Situ, deputy marshal of the world's soldiers and horses and Marshal of Hedong soldiers and horses. Li Keyong is the emperor's brother.

On the outskirts of Yanmen, they invited angels from Chengdu to inspect the Shatuo soldiers and horses, and then held a banquet for the angels in the city.

Liu Yunniang was named the Princess of Jin, and was even given the title of General of the Right Weiwei because she commanded [-] female troops. The female army under her command was given the title of Lion Roar, and the title of Hedong Lion Roar Army.She and Li Keyong's two-year-old daughter was also named the Princess of Xincheng.At this time, she was also attending the banquet, and she did not avoid it. She saw that her husband had deliberately put on the crown and placed it on his fluffy black hair.

The envoys of the imperial court seemed shocked by the crown, and the expression on their faces became a little strange. They turned their heads to look at the crown from time to time, but they didn't speak out.Li Keyong seemed to be very satisfied with the effect at first, but after a while, he stretched out his hand to hold the crown, moved it forward after a while, and then turned it around again after a while, as if the crown was worn on his head. It's not comfortable.Liu Yuniang looked and thought, this crown is not easy to wear.The husband is wearing this crown at this time, and there is a military parade during the day, undoubtedly showing his strength to the court envoys, hoping to get something he wants from the court.Especially after he entered Yiwu Town and was defeated, he needed to be so strong.But on the one hand, the husband is still a little guilty after all. The current Shatuo army is not strong. He just missed the great opportunity to defeat Li Jing. In the blink of an eye, he went to Qinghebei and was beaten all over his head by Li Jing.If the falsehood of Yanmen is seen through by the imperial court, if the imperial court sends troops from the towns in Hedong to attack Yanmen, it will be dangerous.

Halfway through the banquet, Li Ke used Xuanren to bring the captive generals who had just been exchanged from Li Jing not long ago.

The generals headed by Li Kexin brought them in, and Li Keyong asked them to fetch his sword with a dark face.Li Sizhao took Li Ke's big sword, hilt forward, and handed it up.Li Ke pulled out his two-handed sword and placed it horizontally on his knees, with a gloomy expression on his face, and the aura of coercion spread out.

"Your Majesty, the man has been brought here." Li Siyuan personally brought the man in, and went forward to report.

"Zhang Wuluo! Kneel down quickly when you see the king!" Li Sizhao yelled, Li Sien stepped forward and pushed Li Cunxin down.

Although they are all adopted sons of Li Keyong, in fact, no one likes Li Cunxin.

This adopted son did not have the slightest imposing manner of a Shatuo man. Liu Yunniang sat on the sidelines and watched coldly, but then remembered that Zhang Wuluo was actually a Uighur, not a Shatuo, and he had been her husband's adopted son for less than two years.She has also heard about Li Cunxin's personality.Li Keyong's adopted sons have always obeyed and respected Mrs. Liu, but only this Li Cunxin is young, but every time he looks at her, there is always a hint of evil in his eyes.Although he knew that Li Siyuan always peeked at her with different eyes, but Li Siyuan's eyes were pure.Therefore, she could actually forgive Li Siyuan in her heart, but she always disliked Li Cunxin.If it weren't for the fact that Li Cunxin's father died because of reporting to them, Liu would have already planned to drive him away.

Li Cunxin's father was a tall and burly Uighur warrior, but Li Cunxin did not inherit his father's appearance at all. Instead, he had slender yellow hair, a short chin, and a thin face. He was no more than five feet tall, and his eyes were pale and colorless. Blinking non-stop, and the eyes always make people feel a gloomy feeling.

"Zhang Wuluo, get up." Although the husband's voice was very soft, his tone was very cold.Although his voice was not high, it revealed a coercion that made people palpitate. The king of Shatuo in his 20s, the first Shatuo king to wear the Shatuo crown, was in his twenties, but he has already experienced ten years on the battlefield. The war has sharpened this one-eyed man.The big sword lying across his knees reflected the candlelight in the hall, and the sharp white blade shone faintly.

Li Cunxin knelt on the ground and did not dare to get up, his heart was full of anxiety.He was the first to propose to surrender Li Jing when he was under the city of Youzhou.But after the war, Li Jing entrusted both Guo Chongtao and Liu Rengong with important tasks, but he sent him back to Yanmen.Li Jing also euphemistically said that he valued himself and entrusted him with a heavy responsibility to return to Li Keyong's side as an insider.If it's just like this, Li Cunxin thinks it's nothing. The big deal is that he can go back to Li Keyong's side and continue the past.

Fortunately, Li Jing beheaded Li Keyong's most trusted general, the white-robed general Shi Jingsi.

The two generals Guo Chongtao and Liu Rengong surrendered, and Li Jing directly entrusted them with important tasks.He surrendered, and the villain Li Jing sent him back to Yanmen.Shi Jingsi was loyal to Li Keyong and refused to surrender, but Li Jing didn't say anything, didn't persuade him to surrender at all, and cut him off in front of everyone.Then he actually threw Shi Jingsi's head to him, and asked him to return to Yanmen with the head and a thousand disabled prisoners.

As soon as he returned to Guizhou, he was captured by Li Ke's guards.Then he was escorted directly to Yanmen in a prison car, and has been locked in the dungeon until now. From the beginning until now, he has never even seen Li Keyong's face.

At this time, he hated Li Jing and Li Keyong in his heart.Li Jing wanted him to die, Li Keyong also wanted him to die, no matter what he chose, he would die today.

But at this time, what Li Cun was more anxious about in his confidence was not the sword on Li Ke's lap, but the colorful worm behind him.Li Jing raised a huge silver wolf, but Li Keyong actually followed suit and got a tiger cub to raise in the grassland. Now, this big wolf has grown up, with a red stripe fur and a body as big as a calf. It has a king character on its forehead, and its long tail trails behind. It is lying at Li Keyong's feet. At this moment, it slowly gets up, walks to his side and sniffs leisurely, like a dog wagging its tail. .

But Li Cunxin was full of fear at this time, because this tiger, which was like a dog, was by no means a kind person.He had seen it with his own eyes many times before. Li Ke used to feed the tiger alive with criminals. There were dozens of people who died under the tiger's mouth.As long as Li Ke said a word, he would be eaten by the tiger without even a single bone left.

Li Cunxin staggered to his feet and retreated hastily, which made all the Shatuo generals burst into laughter.

"Your Majesty!" Li Siyuan shouted loudly.Among Li Keyong's sons, he has three biological sons, but the oldest is less than one year old, and the youngest is just born, all of them are concubines.Li Keyong adopted more than 100 of the remaining sons, but among them, Li Siyuan and Li Sizhao were the most trusted and valued. Among them, Li Siyuan was the bravest and was given the name Li Hengchong by Li Keyong.

Li Siyuan was loyal to Li Keyong. Although he said that he had selfish motives in the defeat of the military capital, he believed that the most important reason was that Guo Chongtao and Li Cunxin insisted on dividing up the attack.And among them, it was because of Li Cunxin's fanning the flames that the last thing happened.For this usually incompetent murderer who specializes in slanderous gossip, and caused his defeat this time, he will never allow him to survive.

"Father, please forgive my death for the sake of my father's surname and death." Li Cunxin shouted hurriedly, no one here will save him, there is no other way but to save himself.

Li Keyong, who had been sullen all the time, changed his expression slightly after hearing this sentence.Li Keyong may be a rebellious minister, but if he makes friends, Li Keyong is definitely a loyal friend worthy of utter sincerity.At the beginning, Li Cunxin's father died in order to inform the Shatuo people, so he entrusted Li Cunxin to him temporarily, and he promised to take care of Li Cunxin.Thinking of this, Li Keyong couldn't help but let out a long sigh, put away his sword in a sense of loss, and turned his head away: "Let's go, from now on, you will be Zhang Wuluo, not Li Cunxin anymore."

Li Cunxin secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his life was finally recovered. "Father, my son is indeed responsible for this defeat, but the main reason is that Guo Chongtao, the thief, had already secretly conspired with Li Jing, so he deliberately led his troops away from the military capital, making the military capital weak, and was taken by the Qin army." Can ride. Then he took us directly to the city of Youzhou, deliberately brought us into the city of Youzhou, and sent me and other Shatuo elites to Li Jing's mouth."

While speaking, Li Cunxin stepped forward on his knees, grabbed Li Keyong's leg and said, "Please believe the foster father, Guo Chongtao has already surrendered to Qin secretly, and even Liu Rengong was with them. I didn't know before, until the end I found out only after the defeat. After the defeat, Guo Bandit and Liu Bandit were immediately entrusted with important positions by Li Jing to take charge of the army. Boyer and Brother Shi would rather die than surrender. In the end, Bandit Li directly killed Brother Shi and me. In the end, it was because of He wanted to get back his lover Murong Xue, so he reluctantly left the child in exchange for a hostage. Foster father, the child is loyal to the foster father wholeheartedly, never dare to have second thoughts, if there is even half a lie, teach me to pierce my heart with ten thousand arrows , the sky struck with five thunders."

Li Keyong still didn't speak, but his heart was already shaken.

"Father, if the child surrenders to the thief, how can he come back to die? At this time, he has already become Li Jing's subordinate like Guo thief and Liu thief? Besides, Guo thief and Liu thief can surrender Li thief because they are all Han dog, but Er can't. Er was originally a Uighur, and now he is the son of a adoptive father. Even if Er surrendered, how could thief Li believe me? Er knows that in the past, Haier could not speak, and he offended many brothers in the army. But the boy has never had two minds. If the adoptive father thinks that the child is responsible for the defeat, then the child will die without complaint, but if the adoptive father says that the child has surrendered Li thief, then the child will die with peace."

Li Cunxin wept bitterly while talking, and kowtowed until his forehead was dripping with blood.In the end, Li Keyong was finally moved, and he also felt that Guo Chongtao and Liu Rengong were foreigners after all, and they had not been in the army for a long time.But Li Cunxin is his adopted son, even if he is willing to surrender, how could Li Jing trust him?Recalling his father's report to save Shatuo's family, but he died because of it, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty, so he softened his heart immediately, turned around to help Li Cunxin, helped him pat the dust on his body, and sighed: " This king believes in you, but this time, you have to learn a lesson in the future. As the Marquis of Du Yu, you are in charge of military law. As a result, the chief general of the army secretly communicated with the enemy, but you did not notice. This is a serious dereliction of duty. You are back now , get rid of all duties first, and simply take a good rest for a while, and during this time, I will learn the art of cavalry and archery from all your righteous brothers. Sha Tuo, how can you be weak."

"Yes, my child will remember the teachings of my father!"

Seeing this result, many Shatuo generals nearby were slightly disappointed, especially Li Siyuan, who wanted to take Li Cunxin's life this time, but no one thought that he would be killed.He knew that in the future, they would become life and death enemies.

Li Siyuan suddenly felt a gaze on him, and looked sideways, but just in time to see Li Cunxin hastily withdraw his gaze.Although Li Cunxin quickly withdrew his gaze and quickly concealed his original expression, he still keenly noticed that Li Cunxin looked at him just now with a deep-seated hatred.

Thinking of this, Li Siyuan chuckled coldly, then turned his gaze involuntarily to the beautiful figure that was hard to forget and never to be taken away from the crowd. (To be continued.)