Li Shimin, one emperor through the ages

Chapter 10: Ready to Go (2)
"Naturally, the father took his place."

"Based on father's current strength, can he be replaced without fail?" Li Yuan asked, "Do you really know the current anti-Sui power?"

Li Shimin was not very clear about what his father asked, so he didn't dare to answer rashly, looked at Li Yuan and said:
"Also ask my father to teach me."

"You don't even know the current anti-Sui forces, how can you say that after the fall of Emperor Yang, the father will take his place?" Li Yuan continued to ask, staring at his son intently.

Li Shimin couldn't answer, he lowered his head and said in a low voice, "My child just thinks that the Sui Dynasty is about to perish, so father should take action."

"Coming soon? How long will it take for you to talk about coming soon? Is it today, tomorrow, or next month?"

Li Shimin didn't know why, his father would ask this question again and again, but he really couldn't answer his father's questioning, so he had to say again:
"Also ask my father to teach me."

"Father is willing to tell you this, but he wants to tell you more. Before you make a conclusion, you must have relevant knowledge and experience as a basis. Don't take it for granted, otherwise the consequences will be dire. If you don't have relevant knowledge and experience, you should not be busy drawing conclusions, but to ask others to investigate and learn knowledge and experience. Do you think what your father said is right?"

"Yes!" Li Shimin replied respectfully.When Li Yuan saw it, he knew that he could not have a deep understanding of this matter at the moment, so he said:

"You have to seriously experience this matter for the rest of your life. If you don't have enough knowledge and experience about something, don't rush to draw conclusions."

"Yes!" Li Shimin raised his voice and answered.This time Li Yuan heard from the voice that Shimin had accepted his teachings sincerely, so he said:

"You just mentioned that your father replaced him, and this is the crux of the problem. Just imagine, if your father rebelled and helped to overthrow Emperor Sui Yang, and ended up making wedding dresses for others, is it necessary for your father to do this?"

"No, there's no need!"

"This is the core issue that my father needs to consider. Now the dynasty of Emperor Sui Yang can collapse with just a slight push." ​​Li Yuan said solemnly: "It's just that the rebel army has formed three powerful forces: the Wagang Army , the Jianghuai Army, and the Hebei Army. Any of them has the ability to replace Sui Yangdi. What's more, the Turks in the north are also eyeing the world of the Sui Dynasty. They may rush into the Central Plains at any time and tear the Sui Dynasty apart. Now, compared with them, our power is not the strongest at all. Not to mention that we are not sure to contend with all these forces, even if we fight against any of them alone, we may not be able to win. Obviously, If we raise troops at this time, we will only help them overthrow the Sui Dynasty, let the rebels lose one of their most powerful opponents, reduce their many casualties, and make them stronger. Does it make sense for us?"

Li Yuan's last sentence, he was asking Li Shimin, also seemed to be asking himself. He turned and walked to the window, facing the window and meditating.Seeing this, Li Shimin followed behind his father and said slowly:

"What my father means is: we don't just want to overthrow the Sui Dynasty, but we want to take over the throne of Emperor Sui Yang; therefore, we must not only have the strength to defeat the Sui Dynasty, but also have the strength to defeat the uprising armies and Turkic soldiers from all walks of life." After hearing this, Li Yuan couldn't help but nodded his head and said:

"My son understands the meaning of being a father very well, and your son can teach you."

"Thank you father for the compliment."

"Now, since you understand what father means, you might as well think about it again: in terms of the current situation, should we raise troops immediately?"

"I share my father's opinion that now is not the best time to raise troops."

"Since this is the case, how should we face the matter of raising troops?"

"Be careful, don't mention it to anyone, and don't let the emperor know that we may have such ambitions."

"That's a good point! Since the time to raise troops against the Sui Dynasty has not yet come. Companion to the emperor is like companion to a tiger. At this moment, as a man with a heavy hand in the Sui Dynasty, father is inevitably jealous, and danger may happen at any time. Yang Even if the emperor doesn't affirm that we have ambitions, he will definitely suspect that we have ambitions. Therefore, I must be careful and cautious, try to reduce the emperor's suspicion as much as possible, and give me more time to prepare."

"Yes! Father, please tell me, what preparations should we make? What should I do?"

"You also said just now that we don't just want to overthrow the Sui Dynasty, but take over the throne of Emperor Sui Yang. This is the purpose of our actions. We are no better than those who have already rebelled and rebelled. Our situation is more comfortable. Just now I also Having said that, if we start an incident right now, we will not only be facing the army of the Sui Dynasty, but also the uprising and rebellious army, as well as the Turkic soldiers in the north who are eyeing the Sui Dynasty. However, these days The army like tigers and wolves are fighting with the army of the Sui Dynasty, and they are losing troops every day. At that time, they will be seriously injured and very tired, but we have enough strength to deal with all this. When we rise up and fight back The best time for Sui."

"However, when it comes to conquests, sometimes the winning side will multiply in strength and become extremely powerful." Li Shimin is familiar with military books and knows many such battle cases, so he asked his father.

"Because of this, the best time for us to act must be before one side really wins. More importantly, we are not waiting passively, but from now on, we must seize the time to accumulate strength as soon as possible to create the best victory for ourselves. The timing of the incident. We must first find many loyal generals and advisers to ourselves, and then recruit and form our own powerful army. These things, under the current circumstances, it is difficult for me to come forward to do it. You are already If you understand your father's intentions and act according to your father's words, then this world will definitely belong to our Li family."

After hearing his father's words, Li Shimin only felt that his heart suddenly became clear.He looked at his father in admiration, and said confidently: "My son has already understood my father's intentions. My father wants my son to become a hero and be used by my Li family."

Li Yuan was extremely happy since he became a stay-at-home in Taiyuan.Facing the chaotic situation in front of him, the ambitious Li Yuan thought it was a good time to take advantage of the situation to save his power.For this matter, he has thought for a long time.However, I have the emperor's cronies to supervise me, so it is inconvenient to recruit talents blatantly. If the eldest son Li Jiancheng is recalled from Chang'an, it will also attract people's attention.Unexpectedly, God sent him Li Shimin who was thought to be too young to help.Seeing that he brought his eldest grandson Wuji, and soon took in Hou Junji and Liu Hongji, Li Yuan was secretly happy.He has seen countless people in his life, and from his point of view, the few people around Li Shimin are all the talents of the general and prime minister.So with a thought in his heart, he decided to have a good talk with Shimin, and if possible, let Li Shimin take care of this important matter.Hearing Shimin's words, this meeting couldn't help shouting in his heart:
"Heaven has eyes, give me such a sensible and good son!" After he finished, he suppressed his joy and said to Shimin: "From now on, you must remember these four words, and do your best to do it well. "

"Which four words?"

"Undercover heroes."

"Hidden knots!" Li Shimin repeated thoughtfully, "Father, don't worry, the child will definitely do this well."

2
Li Yuan and Li Shimin, the father and son, were talking speculatively. Someone came to report that there was a man named Changsun Shunde outside the door asking to see him. Li Yuan listened, thought for a while, and said to Li Shimin:
"It's your eldest grandson's family uncle, and also your uncle's father-in-law."

"Shall we go to meet him soon?" Li Shimin said.

"No, he is You Xunwei, who should be on the front line of Liaodong. He came here at this time, probably sneaked out of the army. From this point of view, I can't go, you go, no matter what, you must treat him well. Set him up."

"Hiding to become a hero." For some reason, these four words suddenly popped out of Li Shimin's mouth.

"Yes, this can be the beginning of your potential to become a hero." Li Yuan took his words with great interest.

"My child understands." Li Shimin nodded knowingly, and walked out the door.The elder Sun Shunde didn't know Li Shimin, but he knew Li Yuan. When he saw a young man who looked like Li Yuan coming out, the guards were in awe of him, so they knew it was Li Shimin. They looked at him with a smile and said:

"You are, Second Young Master?"

"Exactly, I didn't know that my uncle and father-in-law came, and Shimin was far away from welcoming me, so I ask my uncle and father-in-law to forgive me." Li Shimin said respectfully, raising his hands.

This time Li Yuan's calculations were very accurate. Sun Shunde, the head of the Youxun Guard, really escaped from the barracks privately because he hated the long-term battle in Liaodong.Knowing that Li Yuan was alone in Taiyuan, he rushed to seek refuge all the way without stopping.Because he was running away from battle, Yuan was still a little hesitant, but now seeing Li Shimin treating him respectfully and courteously, calling him uncle and father-in-law, he couldn't help being very happy, and said loudly:

"Family, what kind words are you talking about? I'm from..."

"My father has already told Shimin that it is inconvenient to talk here, so I asked my uncle and father-in-law to come to my house, and we can talk in detail after we settle down."

After Shimin said he had taken his eldest grandson Shunde with him, he hurried back home without saying goodbye to his father.

This is a big house that looks like the one I lived in during the World Democracy Movement, except that there are many more rooms than in Yuncheng.Not only the Changsun family and Wuji, but also Hou Junji, Liu Hongji, and the servants brought from Yuncheng all lived here.Shimin first took Changsun Shunde to meet Changsun and Changsun Wuji.The two were very happy to see their uncle. Shimin said to Changsun:

"Uncle will live with us from now on, you will pack the biggest and best house for him to live in."

"Just live in my room. I live with Liu Hongji." Changsun Wuji said.

"How can this be done?" Eldest Sun Shunde declined.

"You are an elder, as you should be." Li Shimin said to the elder Sun Shunde: "It's just that the younger generation has one more request for Uncle Yue."

"What request, tell me quickly, as long as uncle Yue can do it, he will do his best."

"Uncle Yue lives here, don't associate with your former acquaintances for the time being, even my father, don't go to him."

"You want me to live in seclusion?"

"For the time being, I can only wrong Uncle Yue." Li Shimin said, "Maybe Uncle Yue doesn't know that the Emperor has become suspicious of his father, and even sent someone to send him to Yangzhou to punish him."

"There is such a thing, the emperor." Changsun Shunde suddenly raised his brows and said: "Now that your father has a lot of troops, I'm afraid he will do something..."

Li Shimin hurriedly stretched out his hand, waved it to his elder Sun Shunde, and said: "Father is in such a situation now. Although he has a large number of troops, he has two cronies of the emperor by his side. Therefore, we need to be careful and cautious in our words and actions. Everything has to be done." Think long term."

The elder Sun Shunde looked at Li Shimin who was young but handsome, and his speech and behavior were even more reasonable. He couldn't help admiring him, and said:

"In this case, Shunde must obey. It's just that Shunde also has a request."

"Uncle Yue, tell me quickly."

"Shunde hopes that you will not be polite in the future, don't treat me as an elder, just treat me as a brother."

After hearing this, Shimin smiled at Changsun and said, "How can this be? You are an elder, and you are an elder. But I will tell you frankly what happens in the future; if I need your help, I will not be polite." "Seeing that the elder Sun Shunde nodded, Shimin turned to the elder Sun Wuji and said:
"Quickly, go and invite Liu Hongji and Hou Junji, and let's welcome uncle together."

"I'll go right away." Changsun Wuji said.

"Go quickly, I'll let the cook arrange the food and drinks right away." Li Shimin urged his eldest grandson Wuji and said happily. "Today, thanks to Uncle Yue, let's get drunk."

During the banquet, Changsun Shunde looked at Li Shimin, then at Changsun's family, and said, "Your uncle Gao Shilian really has eyesight. He betrothed you to such an outstanding man. I just don't know where he is now, and is he all right?"

After hearing this, Changsun raised his wine glass: "It's rare for uncle to think of him, and my niece toasts uncle." After finishing speaking, he drank the full glass of wine in one gulp.The tears in the eyes dripped down uncontrollably.Changsun's father passed away since she was young, and her uncle Gao Shilian treated her more dearly than a daughter. Thinking of her uncle's nurturing grace in the past, she couldn't help but shed tears.Seeing this, Li Shimin felt a pain in his heart, and said to Changsun: "Don't worry too much, I will try to find my uncle, and let him come and stay with us when the time comes."

Shilian is a word of high frugality.Gao Jian was originally a Bohai cultivator. He had a noble temperament since he was a child, and he loved classics in literature and history.Gao Jian's grandfather, Gao Yue, was the cousin of Gao Huan, Emperor Shenwu of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and was named Qinghe King of the Northern Qi Dynasty.Gao Jian's father, Gao Li, was named King Le'an of the Northern Qi Dynasty.Gao Jian's grandfather and father both held the official position of Zuo Pushe during the Northern Qi Dynasty.Northern Qi was replaced by Zhou, and Zhou was replaced by Sui. Although Gao Jian's father Gao Li was unsuccessful, he became the governor of the Sui Dynasty. Afterwards, he devoted himself to training his son Gao Jian, making him "few bureaucrats, and quite involved in literature and history." Gao Jian and Xue Daoheng, a great writer at that time, and others, because of their similar interests, formed a deep friendship and became friends for many years.Later, because of his close relationship with Hu Sizheng, Minister of the Ministry of War who fled to Korea, he offended Yang Guang, and Gao Jian was exiled to Jiaozhi.Now that the Central Plains is in chaos, Gao Jian is isolated, the people of the world have inquired many ways, but there is still no news. Changsun has been worried about this for a long time. Now that Changsun Shunde mentioned it, he was worried and shed tears.Seeing that Shimin and his wife were very warm to him and cared so much about their uncle, the eldest Sun Shunde was very moved, and said apologetically:

"It's all my fault, mentioning your uncle made you sad."

"No, how can you blame uncle-in-law. Uncle-in-law cares about uncle, we are very grateful. Come, let's all toast to uncle-in-law." Li Shimin suggested, Changsun Wuji, Liu Hongji, and Hou Junji all stood up with wine glasses, Everyone drank it down.

After drinking for three rounds, the eldest Sun Shunde seemed a little drunk, and said to the people with slightly open eyes: "Now the emperor is caught in the battle of Koryo in the east, and the Turks are gazing at the north, and his ministers, generals, and soldiers are all dissatisfied. , I’m afraid it won’t last long. I wonder what your father’s plan is?”

"Although my father is staying in Taiyuan and holds a heavy army, but after all, his strength is still weak, and he does not have a direct line of troops under his control."

"Yes, yes, I didn't expect the Second Young Master to have such insights at such a young age." The eldest Sun Shunde smiled happily, poured himself a glass of wine and drank it all, and said in a low voice:

"If you don't have your own direct lineage, you can form one. In today's troubled times, if someone as prestigious as your father raises his arms, he will surely respond like a cloud."

"It's just that we can't do this kind of thing in the name of my father now, because in that case, my father will be attacked from all sides before the matter begins."

"Yes, yes! But I still have a good idea."

After Changsun Shunde finished speaking, he wanted to pour wine again, but was stopped by Hou Junji, picked up the jug and said:
"I'll pour it for you, tell me your good idea quickly."

Changsun Shunde looked at Hou Junji and smiled slightly: "You are a quick temper, I like it." After speaking, he only stared at Hou Junji.

2
Seeing that the elder Sun Shunde was only staring at himself, Hou Junji couldn't help being more anxious even if he didn't say the good way, and also stared at the elder Sun Shunde:

"Speak quickly, and I'll pour you wine after you finish speaking."

"Speak quickly, uncle." Changsun Wuji also urged.

When Changsun Shunde saw him, he laughed: "Okay, since you are all eager to hear, I will tell you. Although I only met you today, I have been in Taiyuan for several days, and I know that Taiyuan is not peaceful. The bandits are disturbing. The second son is the son who stayed behind, why don't you come forward to recruit soldiers and form a team on the grounds of protecting the country and the people."

"Okay, I think it will work!" Hou Junji blurted out, and turned to look at Li Shimin.

Li Shimin thought for a while, then turned his head and asked Changsun Wuji and Liu Hongji: "What do you think?"

"I think it's a good way." Changsun Wuji said.

"I think so too." Liu Hongji said.

"Everyone has agreed, so I think it's settled like this. Junji, quickly pour wine for my uncle-in-law." Li Shimin ordered loudly.

Hou Junji raised the jug excitedly, and was about to pour wine when his elder Sun Shunde stopped him.

"Slow down, I still want to recommend two people to the Second Young Master. One is Duan Zhixuan and the other is Yin Kaishan, both are very capable people."

"where are they?"

"It's just outside Taiyuan City."

"Take me to have a look." Li Shimin couldn't help becoming anxious when he heard that there was a capable person.The Gongsun family on the side saw it and said:
"Uncle just came, let him rest for a night, and it won't be too late to take you to meet people tomorrow."

"It doesn't matter. Those who do big things should be in a hurry." Changsun Shunde said: "It's just that these two people are very familiar with me, so there is no need for the second son to go in person, just wait here, and I will go right away." Invite the two strong men, Duan and Yin."

"I'll go with you." Hou Junji said.

"No, we're all going." Li Shimin insisted.

Li Shimin, Changsun Wuji, Hou Junji, three passionate youths, plus a bold and unrestrained grandson, Shunde, everyone did what they said, put down their wine glasses, went to the stables, each picked a horse they liked, got on the horse, and followed the grandson. Shunde away.

The four horses passed through the bustling Taiyuan Street and immediately ran wildly.Li Shimin thought of the four words "hidden knot hero", excited for his first action to fulfill these four words, he kept whipping his horse, and ran far ahead.In front of a small courtyard outside Xiaowai, Li Shimin stood on his horse and looked out, and his eldest son Shunde followed closely.

"How do you run so fast?" Eldest Sun Shunde said with a smile: "Even I, a veteran on the battlefield, have fallen behind. I'm really a descendant of the Li family, a master of riding horses."

"Uncle Yue, is this the courtyard?"

"Yes, it's just this small courtyard." Changsun Shunde said, got off his horse, patted the iron ring on the gate and shouted loudly: "Brother Yin, brother Yin!"

Just as he was shouting, the door opened, and a young man came out. Seeing the eldest Sun Shunde, he laughed and joked:
"Brother Shunde, I haven't given you any water yet, and you've been shouting for half a day. You've lost money again."

"I won't joke with you this time." Changsun Shunde asked seriously: "Is Duan Zhixuan with you?"

"He just hasn't left yet."

"That's good. Let me introduce you." Eldest Sun Shunde pointed to Yin Kaishan and said, "Shimin, this is Yin Kaishan, my good brother, and now he is the head of Taigu." Then he pointed to Li Shimin and said, "He is Now the second son Li Shimin who stays in Taiyuan." Just as he was introducing, Duan Zhixuan also heard that he was driven out, met Li Shimin and others, and everyone exchanged greetings and felt very sympathetic.Because of his father's life, Li Shimin looked at them very seriously.He quickly discovered:

Yin Kaishan is a shrewd and eloquent young man, although his body is thin and thin, his eyes are piercing.Duan Zhixuan has thick eyebrows and big eyes, a broad face and thick lips, and his words are full of pride.Both of them are good friends.Thinking of this, Li Shimin warmly invited them both back to his mansion.A few more dishes were added, and everyone sat down, drinking and chatting.Knowing that Li Shimin wanted to recruit soldiers, Duan Zhixuan immediately volunteered, saying:
"Zhixuan has many acquaintances in Shanxi Yuanxiao, and he is willing to go there to recruit soldiers."

Li Shimin was very happy when he heard this, and said. "Great, if you need me to do something, just ask."

"With the trust of the Second Young Master, I don't need anything. I guarantee that within half a month, thousands of soldiers will be recruited."

(End of this chapter)