My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

It is often said that a fortress is most easily breached from within.

Prior to this, Li Chenggan believed that the Tang Dynasty was relatively united and harmonious internally.

Throughout history, when faced with foreign invasion, people have often united and worked together to fight back, demonstrating their ability to stand as one.

External enemies are no longer so scary.

What's truly terrifying is the internal division.

For example, back then, King Huai of Chu ordered Liu Bang and Xiang Yu to each lead an army to attack and capture Xianyang in the west, agreeing that "whoever enters Guanzhong first will be king."

With everyone of one mind, Xiang Yu marched north and fought a decisive battle, breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats, which utterly defeated the Qin army, leaving them utterly routed and unable to find their teeth on the ground. This established Xiang Yu's position in the Chu army.

Under Zhang Liang's guidance, Liu Bang avoided the enemy's strength and attacked their weakness, thus taking the lead in capturing Xianyang.

but,

After the Qin dynasty was destroyed, the Chu army split into two, with Liu Bang and Xiang Yu fighting independently.

Ultimately, Xiang Yu was forced by Liu Bang to commit suicide at the Wujiang River.

For Xiang Yu, the Qin army was not so scary; what was truly terrifying was his ally, Liu Bang.

Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu and unified the country.

During the reign of Emperor Jing of Han, the Xiongnu continuously invaded the Han Dynasty.

However, this is not the most critical issue.

Emperor Jing of Han almost lost his empire because of the Rebellion of the Seven States.

King Liu Bi of Wu and King Liu Wu of Chu, together with five other vassal kings, marched westward to attack Chang'an.

If it weren't for Zhou Yafu, Dou Ying, and Liu Wu, the King of Liang, holding the line, the Han Dynasty would probably have perished.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty,

The world was divided into four parts, with heroes vying for power and no one willing to submit to anyone else.

Although Emperor Xian of Han was very intelligent, he was powerless to reverse the situation.

The three kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu divided the world.

Sima Yi and his son Sima Zhao, from a powerful and influential family, seized power in the Cao Wei state and established the Western Jin dynasty.

The Jin dynasty also experienced the War of the Eight Princes, which nearly overthrew the country.

This shows that internal attacks are often more dangerous than powerful external enemies.

To Li Chengqian's surprise, Zhang Shigui took advantage of the recruitment to conceal the truth and expand the army without authorization.

However, Zhang Shigui's expansion of the army and his recruitment of troops on the border of Gaochang were fundamentally different.

Take Li Yuanli for example.

He was originally the emperor's brother, and the emperor doted on him, appointing him to guard Xuzhou.

Xuzhou is a prosperous place with a very important geographical location.

Back then, wasn't Xiang Yu able to rise to power precisely because he occupied Pengcheng?

however,

Li Yuanli was not satisfied; on the contrary, he became dissatisfied with the court and harbored rebellious intentions.

He secretly joined forces with Zhang Zhongjian and launched a surprise attack on Chang'an, almost capturing the city.

Thinking of this, Li Chengan's expression became worried.

Although his father is currently trying to capture him.

However, he still cared deeply for the Tang Dynasty and was worried about the court.

Li Chengan picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and asked, "Rengui, what else do you know about Zhang Shigui's concealment of the number of soldiers he recruited?"

How many troops did he probably hide?

"When Zhang Shigui recruited troops in Hedong, he concealed the number of troops, which was no less than 20,000."

"Twenty thousand? That many men?"

Li Chenggan was even more surprised and felt that the matter was very serious.

Because he knew that back then (the sentence is incomplete; it is recommended to add more details).

When Modu Chanyu first rose to power, he had only ten thousand cavalrymen.

Xiang Yu once defeated Liu Bang's allied army of 560,000 princes with only 30,000 cavalry.

Twenty thousand men is no small number.

Xue Rengui continued, "Recently, I learned that Li Daozong is stationed in Luoyang with an army of about 30,000 men."

Your father entrusted Luoyang to Li Daozong, which shows that he trusts him greatly.

Li Chengan nodded: "Back then, Wang Shichong held Luoyang, and he was a tough nut to crack. Father Emperor racked his brains to take Luoyang."

Not for any other reason than that after Emperor Yang of Sui renovated Luoyang, its city walls were high and surrounded by a moat, making its security level no lower than that of Chang'an.

"Luoyang is indeed a fortified city."

Li Chenggan paced back and forth in the room, his hands behind his back: "Li Daozong is my father's cousin, and he has also made many contributions."

"Father, entrusting Luoyang to Li Daozong was not a problem in itself."

"However, your father overlooked one problem."

Li Daozong is Zhang Shigui's son-in-law.

If Li Daozong and Zhang Shigui were to defect, the area east of Chang'an would likely no longer belong to the imperial court.

Li Chengan nodded slightly, because he felt that what Xue Rengui said was not without reason.

Li Chengan thought to himself that since he had come to Luoyang, there were some things he needed to find out.

Do you know where Li Daozong is now?

"Li Daozong was originally the governor of Lingzhou. Not long ago, the Huxue tribe of Lingzhou rebelled, and your father ordered Li Daozong to lead troops to suppress the rebellion."

Li Daozong was rewarded with a fief of 600 households for his merits and appointed Minister of Justice, while still retaining command of the army.

"So, Father Emperor values ​​him highly."

"After he arrived in Luoyang, he moved into Zhaoren Palace, which became his Ministry of Justice and also his general's residence."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan's heart skipped a beat.

Because he knew that Zhaoren Palace was formerly Xianren Palace.

Back then, Emperor Yang of Sui spent a huge amount of money and resources to build Xianren Palace, causing hardship and suffering to the people.

Some say that if Emperor Yang of Sui had not built Xianren Palace, the Sui Dynasty would not have fallen.

Although this statement is a bit extreme, it is not without reason.

therefore,

The Hyunin Palace was seen as a sign of the country's impending doom.

"Your Highness, what is the meaning of your questions? Do you intend to visit Zhaoren Palace tonight?"

Li Chengan smiled slightly and waved his hand: "No, no, no,"

I didn't mean that.

It's getting late, let's book two rooms at this inn to rest.

Xue Rengui was also quite tired, and he agreed to Li Chengqian's suggestion.

It was the third watch of the night.

The night was dark and the wind was high.

A fast horse left the Yuelai Inn, and a person sat on its back. That person was none other than Li Chengan.

Li Chengan changed into a night outfit, packed his belongings, and headed straight for Zhaoren Palace.

He felt a vague unease; he needed to understand many important issues and could not afford to be careless.

Zhaoren Palace is located in the southern part of the West Garden of Luoyang City. Unlike ordinary palaces, this palace combines the functions of a garden and an imperial palace.

About half an hour later, Li Chenggan arrived at the vicinity of Zhaoren Palace.

Li Chengan first scouted out the route and then found a place to tie up his horse.

He looked up and saw that Zhaoren Palace was even taller, more majestic, and more magnificent than Jiangdu Palace.

It is said that

then,

During the construction of Xianren Palace, hundreds of thousands of laborers died or were injured. Yang Su, who was in charge of the construction, concealed the incident and did not report it because he was afraid of the consequences.

After all, so many people died; that's no joke.

but,

After all, paper can't contain fire.

On one occasion,

Yang Su fell ill.

Emperor Yang of Sui asked the physician Yang Su how the illness was going and whether he had died.

Upon hearing this, Yang Su feared for his clan's safety and refused to take the medicine any longer. He died soon after.

It was because of this incident that Yang Xuangan, the son of Yang Su, and Emperor Yang of Sui became enemies.

This may also be one of the main reasons why Yang Xuangan later rebelled.

Li Chenggan thought to himself, no matter how big the palace is, one can only sleep on one bed. What's the use of building such a big palace?

Seeing that Zhaoren Palace was heavily guarded and that two patrol teams were patrolling back and forth, Li Chengan dared not force his way in.

Li Chengan bypassed the patrol team and went around to the back of Zhaoren Palace.

He then took the rope off his shoulder.

The rope was several meters long, and a grappling hook was attached to the end of the rope.

He swung the grappling hook with his right hand and threw it onto the top of the courtyard wall.

Then, I tugged at it with my hand to make sure the grappling hook was in place.

Li Chengan used the rope to climb up in three leaps and two bounds.

After Li Chengan climbed onto the top of the courtyard wall, he bent down and looked inside.

Inside Zhaoren Palace, the lights were on, and the sounds of laughter and joy could be heard.

Li Chengan found it strange and quietly crept along the courtyard wall to the back of the palace.

Although Li Chengqian's lightness skill was not comparable to those of top masters, he had made great progress after this period of training.

Under the cover of night,

He lightly leaped from the top of the wall and landed gracefully in the courtyard.

He gathered up the rope and coiled it over his shoulder.

He evaded the numerous guards and hid under a window.

He held his breath, poked a hole in the paper window with his hand, and peeked inside.

The hall was very spacious and luxurious.

A song and dance performance was underway in the hall, with twenty stunningly beautiful women in long red dresses gracefully dancing on the red carpet.

Each of them had a graceful figure, was as beautiful as an angel, and danced with light, captivating steps.

A charcoal fire burned in the hall, making it warm as spring, but the central seat was empty.

The person sitting to the right is Li Daozong.

Li Daozong is also very young. He is only in his early thirties this year. He is tall, strong, and handsome.

A square table was placed in front of Li Daozong, and the table was full of wine and meat.

Sitting right next to Li Daozong was a woman who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old and was very beautiful. That woman was Zhang Shigui's eldest daughter, Zhang Meiren.

Sitting opposite Li Daozong was a man who appeared to be around fifty years old. The man was somewhat obese, yet possessed a certain imposing presence, with a white beard flowing down his chest.

It was none other than Zhang Shigui.

A square table was also placed in front of Zhang Shigui, and the table was filled with delicious food.

at this time,

Zhang Shigui was already flushed and dizzy from drinking, his eyes glazed over, staring at the beautiful women on the field.

Those women were all incredibly beautiful, with alluring figures that were absolutely mesmerizing.

Li Daozong raised his wine cup: "Father-in-law, I would like to offer you three more cups."

"Okay!" Zhang Shigui accepted all offers.

Li Chengan looked out the window and frowned, thinking to himself how dire the situation was for the imperial court.

In some places, disaster victims haven't even received relief yet, but you're here indulging in debauchery. If Father Emperor finds out, he will surely be furious.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Li Daozong waved his hand, and the women who were singing and dancing tactfully withdrew.

Zhang Shigui stroked his beard and said, "When I was in Hedong, I heard about the rebellion of the Huxue tribe in Lingzhou. Li Shimin ordered you to lead troops to quell the rebellion. How did it go?"

Li Daozong put down his wine cup and laughed heartily: "Father-in-law, those are nothing but a rabble. How could they possibly be a match for me?"

After my son-in-law arrived there, he quickly defeated them, imprisoning those who needed to be imprisoned and killing those who needed to be killed. Now things are peaceful.

Zhang Shigui nodded and praised, "Your military strategy is no less than that of Han Xin."

Li Daozong waved his hand: "Father-in-law, you flatter me. I still have much to learn from you."

I've heard that back then, the fate of the world was entirely in the hands of my father-in-law.

Wang Shichong, Li Mi, and others wanted to win over their father-in-law. If their father-in-law sided with them, they might succeed.

"Sigh," Zhang Shigui sighed, "Li Mi is still no good."

Zhai Rang relinquished his position as commander of the Wagang Army to him.

However, not long after,

He feared that Zhai Rang would regain his position, so he found an excuse to kill Zhai Rang.

This chilled the hearts of the Wagang army generals, causing them to fall apart.

Li Mi was only interested in getting Empress Xiao; he had no regard for the people of the world.

Li Yuan wrote him a letter praising him highly, and he became so arrogant that he forgot himself.

At that time, the Sui army was at the height of its power, so he became Li Yuan's pawn and went to fight against the Sui army.

How could I possibly side with someone who is so disloyal, lustful, and brainless?

Although he sent envoys to communicate with me many times, hoping that I would join their camp, I remained unmoved.

Li Daozong sat upright, listening quietly, and said, "Father-in-law, it seems you have a good eye for people."

"So, Wang Shizhong was very powerful back then, why didn't you side with him?"

Zhang Shigui sneered, "To make an inappropriate analogy, Wang Shichong is like Yuan Shu back then, but he can't even compare to Yuan Shu."

At that time, Yuan Shu occupied Shouchun and was eager to declare himself emperor.

His civil and military officials advised him not to declare himself emperor, but he couldn't resist. It seemed that whoever declared himself emperor first would get the title of emperor.

If one were to become emperor too late, it would seem as if the title of emperor would be snatched away by someone else.

Cao Cao welcomed Emperor Xian of Han to Xudu and used the emperor to command the feudal lords. How could Cao Cao allow two emperors to rule the world?

Naturally, we should start by taking action against him. How could Yuan Shu possibly be a match for Cao Cao?

It was soon destroyed by Cao Cao.

The same applies to Wang Shichong.

He only occupied Luoyang, yet he was in a hurry to declare himself emperor. He didn't have the strength to do so, so why did he have to show off his power?

You should know that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down; the nail that sticks out gets rotted first.

Li Chengan listened to Zhang Shigui's words from outside the window and thought to himself that Zhang Shigui was indeed not simple and had seen through Li Mi and Wang Shichong very well.

"After looking around, I realized that only Li Yuan and his son Li Shimin were capable of great things, so I decided to pledge my allegiance to them."

"Father-in-law was indeed prescient. Now it seems that your choice was absolutely correct."

When my elder brother was pacifying the world, he was greatly helped by my father-in-law.

For example, in the campaigns against the separatist forces of Xue Ju, Xue Rengao and his son, Liu Wuzhou, Song Jingang, Wang Shichong, and Dou Jiande, my father-in-law not only offered numerous brilliant strategies but also led from the front, fighting on the battlefield.

That took a lot of effort.

Without my father-in-law's support, my elder brother might not have been able to conquer the world in such a short time.

Objectively speaking, my father-in-law's contributions far surpass those of Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong, and Yuchi Gong; he should be credited with the greatest merit.

Zhang Shigui sighed: "That's all in the past, why bring it up again?"

Because my surname is Zhang, not Li.

Think about what happened to famous generals like Bai Qi, Han Xin, and Zhou Yafu. I'm already lucky to be where I am today.

Hearing this from outside the window, Li Chengan's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, "Zhang Shigui is indeed not modest. He compares himself to those famous generals of ancient times. Judging from his tone, he doesn't seem satisfied with the emperor's reward."

Hearing this, Li Daozong was also somewhat indignant: "Logically speaking, based on your outstanding military achievements, it wouldn't be excessive to make you a king."

However, your elder brother only bestowed upon you the title of Duke of Guo and General of the Right Guard.

I heard that

Back then, the State of Qin was very weak. After Duke Xiao of Qin ascended the throne, he worked tirelessly day and night. In order to make Qin strong quickly, he issued an edict seeking talented individuals.

He asked who could help him govern the Qin state well, and in return, he would share the land with them!

When Shang Yang arrived, he implemented the Shang Yang Reforms, which truly made the Qin state powerful. Duke Xiao of Qin kept his promise and appointed Shang Yang as Lord Shang.

King Zhuangxiang of Qin, Yiren, was also very magnanimous. Back when he was a hostage in the state of Zhao,

He was penniless and looked down upon. In Qin, he was neither the eldest son nor the heir apparent, so he had no chance of inheriting the throne.

However, Lü Buwei took a liking to him, believing that he was a rare commodity.

Lü Buwei spent a lot of money to bribe officials, which gradually made Yiren gain a high reputation among the feudal states.

Lü Buwei then traveled west to the Qin state and persuaded Lady Huayang to adopt Yiren as her son and make him her heir to the throne.

later,

As expected, Yiren successfully became the King of Qin.

He did not forget Lü Buwei's contributions, and enfeoffed him as Marquis Wenxin, with a fief of 10 households.

In comparison, your elder brother seems rather harsh towards you, and Lü Buwei doesn't trust Ying Zheng either.

in fact,

Zhang Shigui did indeed harbor resentment towards the imperial court. He also felt that Li Shimin hadn't treated him well enough. Despite his great achievements, he was now probably not even comparable to Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong, or Yuchi Gong. He hadn't even been included as an examiner in this martial arts examination.

"Let's not talk about that anymore. It's good that the Emperor ordered me to recruit soldiers outside."

"How many soldiers did you recruit this time? I recruited a total of 6 men. Of these, 3 were handed over to the imperial court because of their poor physical condition, and the remaining 3 strong men were incorporated into my own ranks."

"Does the imperial court know about this?"

"The imperial court was unaware of this."

Hearing this from outside the window, Li Chengan was even more alarmed, because Xue Rengui had told him that Zhang Shigui had secretly recruited 20,000 soldiers, but unexpectedly, he had left behind 30,000 strong and capable men.

Using the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled to fool the imperial court is outrageous!

Upon hearing this, Li Daozong's expression turned somewhat worried: "Father-in-law, this matter is of utmost importance. You must keep it a secret. If the imperial court finds out, what will become of us!"

"Don't worry, our 3 troops are currently undergoing intensive and orderly training. Everything is being carried out in secret, and outsiders have no idea what's going on," Zhang Shigui paused here.

People often say, "When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked." Back then, Liu Bang's empire was almost entirely won by Han Xin.

but,

finally,

Han Xin, however, died in Weiyang Palace.

If Han Xin had made preparations beforehand, how could he have died such a tragic death?

In my opinion,

Han Xin would not rebel.

If he wanted to rebel, he would have done so when he was King of Qi, commanding an army of 30.

At that time,

He held the reins of power in the world.

If he helps Xiang Yu, then Xiang Yu will win;

If you help Liu Bang, he can seize the world.

If he were to establish himself independently, he could divide the world into three parts;

At that time, he did not rebel.

Later on, once the military power was handed over, how could there possibly be any rebellion?

Therefore, Han Xin died on trumped-up charges because he was too skilled in warfare.

His very existence was a threat to the Han Dynasty.

Therefore,

Empress Lü took advantage of Liu Bang's absence to deal with him.

"I recruited these soldiers for no other reason than to protect myself."

Li Daozong frowned upon hearing this: "Why do you say such a thing, Father-in-law?"

Have you heard any rumors?

Does my imperial brother intend to execute meritorious officials?

You should know that my imperial brother is known for 'not killing meritorious officials'.

Xue Rengui tilted his head back and drank a cup of wine: "Comparatively speaking, after Li Shimin ascended the throne, he did kill far fewer meritorious officials than Liu Bang did."

Liu Bang not only killed Han Xin, but also Peng Yue, Ying Bu, and others.

but,

Don't forget,

After the Xuanwu Gate Incident,

Luo Yi was originally one of Li Jiancheng's men and was enfeoffed as the Prince of Yan. He feared being killed and the more he thought about it, the more terrified he became.

(The preceding text should include a subject, such as "He then rebelled, but the plot was exposed, and he was killed by his subordinates.")

Li Chengan was also aware of this matter.

but,

Luo Yi's death cannot be blamed on his father; it was because he overthought things.

He rebelled against the court, but it wasn't his father who killed him; he was killed by his own subordinates.

Li Daozong nodded: "Father-in-law, what you said makes some sense."

Luo Yi can be considered the first general to be killed since the emperor ascended the throne.

but,

You don't need to overanalyze this matter.

His situation is different from yours.

Because he used to be one of Li Jiancheng's men.

Therefore,

He felt a sense of panic.

Zhang Shigui sighed and put down his wine cup: "How should I put it? I'm worried that Li Shimin will blame me in the future for not being firm in my stance back then, for having adopted a wait-and-see attitude."

They did not join him when he first raised his army, but waited and saw for a while.

What if he uses the charge of disloyalty to cause me trouble?

"Father-in-law, there's no need to worry. Let alone you, no one could have foreseen the true state of affairs at that time."

When my uncle and my elder brother raised their army, their strength was still very weak. Who could have known what would happen to them in the future?

They probably never imagined that they could overthrow the Sui Dynasty and establish the Tang Dynasty.

"But at that time, we were forced by circumstances and had no choice but to rebel," Li Daozong comforted him.

"It's always good to plan ahead for many things. Let's not talk about those things for now," Zhang Shigui said, pausing for a moment.

"So, did the Emperor bestow any honors upon you for suppressing the rebellion of the Huxue tribe in Lingzhou?"

"He was granted the fief of 600 households and appointed Minister of Justice."

"Six hundred households?" Zhang Shigui held up his right thumb and little finger.

"Yes." Li Daozong nodded.

"I never imagined that Li Shimin would become so stingy."

It's really hard to understand.

It's one thing if he's reluctant to reward us outsiders, but he's also reluctant to do so for you, his brother.

How many soldiers did he give you?

"He gave me 30,000 troops to garrison Luoyang, ordering me to eliminate and guard against the remaining forces of the Turks." Li Daozong held up three fingers.

People say that the Turks were defeated by Li Jing.

Little did they know that Khagan Jieli had fled to the Shaboluo tribe in the northwest of Lingzhou, intending to escape to Tuyuhun.

It was you who forced Sunish to surrender and hand over Jieli Khan.

Therefore, you deserve the greatest credit for the destruction of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

Li Daozong lowered his head and remained silent.

Zhang Shigui continued, "However, Li Shimin appointed Li Jing as Grand General, commanding the entire army, but appointed you as Minister of Justice, with a fief of 600 households."

Giving you only 3 troops is far too few.

The remaining forces of the Turks numbered far more than several hundred thousand.

"Are you kidding me, sending 3 men to fight such a large Turkic army?"

"That's not entirely true. Luoyang is still very important. As long as we manage Luoyang well, there won't be any rebellions east of Luoyang."

Zhang Shigui stood up, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth in the hall: "I've figured it out now. We can't leave Chang'an. No matter how well we fight, it's no match for those who know how to flatter and fawn."

They don't even need to fight. They just need to say a few nice words to the emperor, and if the emperor is pleased, he'll appoint them to high-ranking positions. Meanwhile, we're far from Chang'an, fighting tooth and nail outside, and we might not even get any rewards.

"Father-in-law, what brings you to Luoyang this time? Did the Emperor summon you back?"

"No, that's not it. I heard that the imperial court will hold a martial arts examination during the Lantern Festival, and the New Year is almost here."

I plan to send Zhang Zhilong to take the martial arts exam and try to seize the General's Token.

"Him?" Li Daozong looked at Zhang Shigui with a suspicious gaze and asked, "Has Zhang Zhilong's martial arts improved so quickly?"

In my impression, he doesn't seem to be very capable.

His martial arts skills are nothing more than fancy moves; in a real battle, wouldn't he lose his life?

Zhang Shigui shook his head: "Your thoughts are different from mine. As you said, Zhang Zhilong's martial arts skills are indeed not very good."

However, things can be accomplished by human effort.

One,

I plan to have him study and practice diligently, and I will also teach him a set of Zhang family spear techniques.

We need to improve his martial arts skills. Even last-minute practice can be effective.

Secondly, you also need to find a way to bribe those examiners for him. If you can win them over, what difference does it make who gets the general's seal?

As long as Zhang Zhilong seizes the general's seal, our Zhang family's position in the imperial court will be further consolidated.

Even if the court only provides him with a small number of troops, I still have 3 fresh troops here, which I can hand over to him as well.

With my main force and yours, we have about 100,000 troops.

With this army of 100,000, we can conquer the world.

Who would dare to do anything to us so easily?

Li Daozong felt that Zhang Shigui's words made some sense.

in fact,

Li Daozong also had a different opinion regarding Li Yuanli's rebellion.

Because Li Shimin had killed Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, no matter what, he killed his own brothers, which is chilling.

Furthermore, regarding Li Yuanli's siege of Chang'an, both sides have their own arguments.

Ultimately, Li Yuanli was defeated.

Li Shimin imprisoned Li Yuanli in the Dali Temple jail, but had not yet executed him.

However, Li Daozong was also a little uneasy.

The rabbit mourns the fox's death.

Even if you have made great contributions, can't a monarch find fault with you?

At this moment, Zhang Meiren stood up, poured a cup of tea, and presented it to Zhang Shigui with both hands: "Father, have some water."

Zhang Shigui took the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

"There's one more thing. Could you promote He Zongxian to a higher official position?"

He Zongxian was Zhang Shigui's son-in-law, and also an uneducated and incompetent person.

Li Daozong said, "If you want to promote him to a higher official position, he must have made some contributions."

If he is promoted without having achieved any merit, the people will likely be dissatisfied.

"Yes," Zhang Shigui nodded, "you're right."

If he were to earn merit based on his own abilities, it would probably be quite difficult.

The best way, for example, is to attribute the credit to He Zongxian if someone makes a contribution.

In this way, the imperial court had nothing to say.

but,

This matter needs to be handled meticulously.

Li Chengan, who was outside, was furious when he heard this. He thought to himself that he never expected Zhang Shigui to say such shameless things.

Claiming credit for someone else's work is a capital offense if discovered by the imperial court.

Just then, four young men walked in from outside, knelt on the ground, and cried, "Father, please do us justice!"

Zhang Shigui looked down and saw that it was his four sons. He frowned and asked, "What are you doing? What happened?"

Zhang Zhilong then recounted his encounter with Li Chengan and Xue Rengui at the old-established blacksmith shop.

"What? You've encountered Xue Rengui?" Zhang Shigui almost jumped up upon hearing this, because he had a deep impression of Xue Rengui.

When Xue Rengui first tried to join the army, he applied more than once, but was rejected each time.

in fact,

Zhang Shigui felt that Xue Rengui was too capable, and if he were to join the army, he would be difficult to control and would definitely overshadow his four sons and sons-in-law. Therefore, he deliberately made things difficult for him.

Unexpectedly, Xue Rengui also arrived in Luoyang.

"Yes."

"What is he doing here?"

"Father, you may not know this, but he also wants to take the martial arts exam and is having a halberd made at a well-established blacksmith shop."

do you know?

The weapons he forged weighed a staggering three hundred jin (approximately 150 kg).

"Is that so?"

"This is truly unheard of," Zhang Shigui stroked his beard.

"As far as I know, the Overlord Halberd used by Xiang Yu weighed only 129 jin. Does that mean he was stronger than Xiang Yu?"

How much strength must he have in his arm to wield a 300-pound halberd?

I think he's just bluffing.

Li Daozong was also curious, as he had never heard of Xue Rengui before, and couldn't help but ask, "Who exactly is Xue Rengui?"

Can he really wield a 300-pound halberd and lift a stone lion weighing over 1000 pounds?

"That's right. In front of the old blacksmith shop, he lifted a stone lion weighing over 1000 jin with one hand, almost crushing me to death."

If I hadn't been lucky enough to run fast, he would have crushed me to death.

"You all have to avenge me!" Zhang Zhilong cried again as he said this.

"One hand?" Li Daozong found it even more unbelievable.

"Exactly!"

Zhang Shigui's face darkened: "You guys are all grown up, crying and wailing like this, what kind of behavior is this?"

Stand up and speak.

"promise!"

The four brothers, Zhang Zhilong, Zhang Zhihu, Zhang Zhibiao, and Zhang Zhibao, stood up, wiped away their tears, and stood respectfully to the side.

Zhang Zhilong continued, "Father, what's even more infuriating is that there was also a handsome monk with Xue Rengui."

That monk was clearly no pushover; he was definitely biased towards Xue Rengui.

"A monk? What monk? What does he look like?"

Zhang Zhilong then described Li Chengqian's appearance.

Upon hearing this, Li Daozong found it strange: "If what you say is true, then the monk does resemble the Crown Prince Li Chengqian somewhat."

but,

How could that be?

I heard that Li Chengan just returned from the Japanese kingdom, where he made great contributions and achieved second place in the civil service examination.

He was still serving his sentence and should have been in the Eastern Palace. How could he have come to Luoyang?

Even if he arrived in Luoyang, how could he possibly be dressed as a monk?

Everyone was completely baffled.

"Father, please lend me 1000 men. I'll take them to the old blacksmith shop and capture Xue Rengui and that monk. Otherwise, I won't be able to quell my hatred," Zhang Zhilong pleaded.

"This—," Zhang Shigui hesitated, "our purpose in coming to the capital this time is to participate in the martial arts examination and seize the general's seal."

We have obtained troops from the Emperor, which will solidify our position in the court. We should not create any unnecessary complications.

As your father is often away from the capital, it is difficult for me to see the Emperor.

Therefore, we often suffer losses.

Look, people like Cheng Yaojin, Li Jing, and Yuchi Gong have all been promoted.

Especially Li Jing, I have the least respect for him.

Back then, Li Jing almost caused Li Yuan's death by reporting Li Yuan's rebellion to Emperor Yang of Sui.

I never expected that someone like him could turn his life around like this.

If Li Yuan had killed him back then, he wouldn't have been involved at all.

"Father, I won't be able to get this out of my mouth if we can't catch Xue Rengui and that monk."

Just then, another person walked in from outside.

Everyone glanced at the newcomer and saw that it was none other than Fang Yi'ai.

Li Daozong and Zhang Shigui did not expect Fang Yi'ai to come here at this time.

After exchanging greetings, everyone took their seats according to their status as hosts and guests.

Of course, the four Zhang brothers stood behind Zhang Shigui.

Li Chengan saw Fang Yi'ai through the window and was quite surprised, wondering why this kid had come here.

His arrival is definitely not for anything good.

Fang Yi'ai pursed his lips, looking imperious, as if he were an imperial envoy.

"Minister of Justice, I have come on the Emperor's orders. There are a few things I would like to discuss with you."

In reality, Li Daozong looked down on Fang Yi'ai, knowing that the boy was a good-for-nothing who was more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything.

but,

On the one hand, Fang Yi'ai was the son of Grand Secretary Fang Xuanling;

On the other hand, he was also Princess Gaoyang's husband, a legitimate member of the imperial family, so it was inconvenient to offend him.

Li Daozong said, "Speak whatever you have to say."

"Firstly, His Majesty asks you, how is the recent effort to wipe out the remaining forces of the Turks progressing? How many Turkic soldiers have been captured? How many have been killed?"

"I was suppressing a rebellion in Lingzhou some time ago, so I haven't been in Luoyang for very long."

People often say that to repel external threats, one must first secure internal stability.

When I arrived in Luoyang, I discovered that Luoyang was not peaceful either. There were many thieves in and around Luoyang, such as Chai Long and Duan Shizi.

"Currently, we are reinforcing the city's defenses and clearing out thieves from inside and around the city. We have not yet captured any Turks."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shigui's face flashed with embarrassment. After all, Zhang Shigui had also started out as a thief. In his early years, he had gathered a group of thieves to seize cities before finally surrendering to Li Yuan.

Upon hearing this, Fang Yi'ai's face darkened: "Li Daozong, although you are the Emperor's cousin and a member of the Tang Dynasty's imperial family..."

However, the remaining forces of the Turks are still very powerful and should not be underestimated.

"With your pace of work so slow, how long will it take to wipe out the remaining Turkic forces?"

Upon hearing this, Li Daozong cursed inwardly, thinking, "Who do you think you are, daring to point fingers at me like that?"

However, he thought again that Fang Yi'ai was here today representing the Emperor, and could indeed be considered an imperial envoy, so he couldn't afford to offend him.

then,

Li Daozong held back for a moment, then said, "What you say makes sense. I will arrange this matter as soon as possible. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

Seeing that Li Daozong's attitude was acceptable, Fang Yi'ai picked up his teacup, took two sips, and then put the teacup down.

"The second thing I want to tell you is that Li Chenggan has committed a serious crime."

The Emperor ordered Chang He to close the gates of Chang'an and arrest Li Chenggan, but unexpectedly, Li Chenggan escaped.

We suspect that Li Chengqian has most likely come to Luoyang.

Therefore, I am here to inform you.

If Li Chengan arrives in Luoyang, he must be arrested.

Upon hearing this, Li Daozong was quite surprised and asked, "What crime has Li Chengqian committed?"

Why is the Emperor so angry?