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

Holding a long spear, Su Gui descended the stairs with a "thump, thump, thump," exited the Yue Lai Inn, mounted her horse, and was followed closely by two hundred Imperial Guards.

The group walked forward for several feet.

Su Gui pointed at Zhang Shigui: "You led so many troops here, and you dared to surround the Imperial Guards!"

You've really eaten bear's heart and swallowed leopard's gall.

Are you trying to rebel?

Zhang Shigui didn't recognize Su Gui and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Su Gui, son of Su Dan. Currently, I serve in the Imperial Guard and am a subordinate of Chang He."

"Oh, so you're a junior," Zhang Shigui stroked his beard. "Speaking of which, your father and I served in the same court and had a fairly good relationship."

I am here to arrest Li Chengan on official business. Get out of my way.

"fart!

"I'm acting on imperial orders, but where is the imperial edict? Show it to me!" Su Gui glared angrily.

"Uh—." Zhang Shigui was speechless for a moment, because he had only heard Fang Yi'ai say that, and he did not have an imperial edict.

The four brothers, Zhang Zhilong, Zhang Zhihu, Zhang Zhibiao, and Zhang Zhibao, who were listening from behind, were furious.

Zhang Zhilong thought to himself, "I can't beat Xue Rengui, and I can't defeat Li Chengan, but surely I can handle this kid Su Gui?"

then,

He slapped the horse's rump with his broadsword, and the horse bolted away.

Without even a word, Zhang Zhilong raised his broadsword and chopped it down at Su Gui's head.

Su Gui raised her spear upwards.

A loud clang rang in my ears as the two weapons clashed together.

Zhang Zhilong felt numbness in both arms, and his thumb and forefinger were cracked from the impact.

The horse stumbled backward a few steps.

Then look at Su Gui, so calm and collected, as if she didn't care at all.

Su Gui asked, "Who are you?"

Zhang Zhilong reined in his horse: "I am Zhang Zhilong. Have you ever heard of my great name?"

"Oh, who do we have here? So you're that playboy, the eldest of the four good-for-nothings in the Zhang family."

"What?"

You dare underestimate me?

"Today, I'm going to teach you a lesson!" Zhang Zhilong raised his broadsword again and launched an attack.

Su Gui was not one to be trifled with either, and the two began to fight in front of the two armies.

After four or five more rounds, Su Gui suddenly shouted, "Zhang Zhilong, listen up! My next thrust will pierce your left shoulder, two inches deep. If it's even an inch deeper, that doesn't count; I'll thrust again!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhilong roared in fury, "You little brat, you're so arrogant!"

but,

He unconsciously focused his attention on his left shoulder, just in case Su Gui really did poke it.

however,

The voice just fell,

With a "thud," Zhang Zhilong was shot in the right shoulder.

Su Gui pulled the spear back, and blood spurted out immediately.

"Ouch, that hurts so much!" Zhang Zhilong swayed and rocked on his horse three times, almost falling off.

He covered his wound with his hand: "Su Gui, you cheated!"

You just said you were going to poke my left shoulder, so why did you poke my right shoulder?

Su Gui chuckled upon hearing this: "Haven't you heard of what 'feinting to the east while attacking the west' means?"

If I say it's the left side, then it has to be the left side, right?

"You dare to lie to me, you little brat? Ouch, that hurts!"

Upon seeing this, the three Zhang brothers, Zhihu, Zhibiao, and Zhibao, quickly called out, "Big brother, are you alright?"

The three brothers rushed forward and shielded Zhang Zhilong behind them.

Su Gui was furious and glared at him: "What are you doing?"

Do you want to win with numbers?

I tell you,

Even if you all come at me together, I'm not afraid.

Zhang Shigui, watching from the side, thought to himself that Su Gui was no simple character either.

Li Chengqian is truly blessed; I wonder where he gathered so many talented people.

Zhang Shigui roared, "All of you, get out of my way!"

The four brothers, Zhang Zhilong, Zhang Zhihu, Zhang Zhibiao, and Zhang Zhibao, had no choice but to back down.

Zhang Shigui glared at Zhang Zhilong: "Disgraceful!"

Zhang Zhilong winced in pain and stepped aside, not daring to argue.

People often say that older ginger is spicier.

in fact,

Zhang Shigui did this to protect his own, because he had discovered that Su Gui was a highly skilled marksman and possessed exceptional martial arts abilities.

Even if all four of his sons joined forces, they might not be a match for him.

Su Gui is indeed a young hero.

Zhang Shigui was angry, but it wasn't outwardly apparent: "For the sake of your father, Su Dan..."

"I won't argue with you, but get out of the way! I'm arresting Li Chenggan. Is Li Chenggan in the inn?"

"That's right, the Crown Prince is in the inn, but with me here, it's absolutely impossible for you to catch him."

The Crown Prince said,

"I'm letting you go over and talk to them."

Zhang Shigui had no idea what Li Chengan wanted to say to him.

He looked at Su Gui and asked, "What does Li Chenggan want with me?"

"I don't know about that. You should go and talk to him yourself."

Zhang Zhilong said, "Dad, this kid is very cunning. Could there be an ambush?"

Su Gui, with her excellent hearing, said, "If you're scared, then you shouldn't go!"

Zhang Shigui waved his hand: "Li Chengqian is the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, upright and honorable."

How could he possibly have set up an ambush?

then,

Su Gui was in front, and Zhang Shigui was behind. They walked forward for several more feet.

Zhang Shigui reined in his horse, looked up, and sure enough, saw Li Chengan standing on the second floor of the inn, holding onto the railing and looking down.

Li Chengan stood tall and proud, exuding an air of confidence and grandeur.

Zhang Shigui looked at Li Chenggan, then at his own four sons, and felt a surge of anger. He thought to himself, "How did Li Chenggan grow up like this?"

He is clearly an outstanding person.

Looking at her four sons, they were all ugly and unattractive, there was no comparison.

Zhang Shigui reined in his horse: "Li Chengan, did you call me here because you have something to say?"

Li Chengan, holding onto the railing, looked down at him: "Zhang Shigui, I want to ask you..."

What grudge do I hold against you?

"There's no hatred involved," Zhang Shigui said.

"If there's no hatred, why are you leading so many troops to surround the Yuelai Inn?" Li Chengan pointed to the 2000 men behind Zhang Shigui.

Zhang Shigui sneered: "Your Majesty is wise. I am doing this to serve the court."

The imperial son-in-law, Fang Yi'ai, has already made it very clear.

The Emperor wants to arrest you.

If we can't catch one alive, a dead one will do.

Now that we've encountered this situation, we must act according to orders.

"Zhang Shigui, you don't need to make it sound so nice. What does this have to do with you?"

Fang Yi'ai went to inform my uncle, Li Daozong.

because,

Currently, Li Daozong is stationed in Luoyang, responsible for eliminating the remaining forces of the Turks.

Your trip to the capital and your army to Luoyang was illegal in itself.

and also,

You recruited inferior soldiers in Hedong and concealed the truth.

You handed over some old, weak, and disabled soldiers to the imperial court, but left 3 strong and capable men behind. What are you planning to do?

Are you planning a rebellion?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shigui thought to himself, "What I feared most has come to pass."

It seems that Li Chengan overheard their conversation, which is a matter of life and death.

If Li Shimin asks about this matter, how should I answer?

"Li Chengan, did you not recruit soldiers on the border of Gaochang?"

To tell you the truth, we did not recruit a single soldier on our own. All the recruited soldiers have been screened and handed over to the imperial court.

Don't say any more. I'm just following orders.

You'd better surrender quickly to avoid further physical suffering.

otherwise,

"Come and see!" Zhang Shigui said, pointing to the two thousand soldiers behind him.

"With just one command, I can turn you into a pincushion!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan remained calm and composed: "Zhang Shigui, according to what you've said..."

Are you determined to make things difficult for me?

"I didn't want to do this, you forced me to." Zhang Shigui looked helpless.

Li Chengan thought to himself, "You, Zhang Shigui, you really know how to talk."

You came here to kill me, but you say I forced you to.

Li Chengqian was also quite stubborn: "Zhang Shigui, I have some good advice to give you, but I don't know if you're willing to listen?"

"Speak quickly!"

"We already had a martial arts contest yesterday at Zhaoren Palace. Your martial arts skills are quite impressive."

I know that you made great contributions during my father's conquest of the world.

This is truly remarkable.

Therefore,

Your father values ​​you highly.

You are to take your sons to Hedong to be in charge of recruiting soldiers.

but,

I never imagined you would harbor such ambitions, gradually developing a rebellious heart.

Zhang Shigui snorted: "I didn't expect you to be so eloquent at such a young age."

Your father is biased.

He likes people who are good at flattery and bootlicking.

Putting aside other examples, let's take Cheng Yaojin as an example.

What skills does Cheng Yaojin possess?

To say his martial arts skills were merely three and a half axe blows would be an understatement.

He might be able to fool others, but he's not going to fool me.

He keeps calling himself some kind of devil or emperor, but he's nothing!

Those people were nothing more than a band of thieves from Wagang Mountain, who called themselves the Great Virtuous Emperor.

in fact,

Cheng Yaojin was a mountain bandit king.

He's the least capable one.

He couldn't continue in his position, and his leadership was taken over by Zhai Rang and Li Mi.

However, it is said that he voluntarily gave the golden chair to Li Mi and others.

He's really shameless.

Besides being a big talker and bragging, what other skills does he have in his life?

What tough battles has he fought?

Whether it was suppressing Xue Ju and Xue Rengao, or campaigning against separatist forces like Wang Shichong and Liu Wuzhou, I was always at the forefront of the charge.

Where is Cheng Yaojin?

He's all gone to hide in Chang'an, deliberately instigating others to fight on the front lines. Don't I know him well?

but,

Even a good-for-nothing like Cheng Yaojin was granted the title of Duke of Lu by your father, who allowed him to wear a sword and shoes in the palace.

But they chased me to the east bank of the river.

Do you think your father was fair and just?

It should be said that what Zhang Shigui said is basically true.

but,

To say that Cheng Yaojin had no merit whatsoever

That's a bit of an exaggeration.

I think you have a point.

but,

I think your assessment of Cheng Yaojin is biased.

Objectively speaking, Cheng Yaojin's martial prowess is inferior to yours.

However, ordinary people are really no match for him.

Cheng Yaojin fought alongside his father, the emperor, for many years, defeating Song Jingang, capturing Dou Jiande, and subduing Wang Shichong, repeatedly achieving military merits. He also participated in the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

in addition,

He was highly respected on Wagang Mountain.

Although he was not very literate

He was a real man, very loyal and righteous.

"Li Chenggan, what do you mean by saying this?"

Cheng Yaojin is loyal and righteous, but am I not?

"Zhang Shigui, let's not bring up those old, trivial matters anymore."

You are now a general of the imperial court. Considering your past merits,

As long as you hand over those 3 strong men to the imperial court,

I can speak well of you before my father, and from now on, I will no longer pursue your responsibility.

Your title can still be passed down; what do you think?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shigui couldn't help but sneer: "No wonder people say you're small but shrewd, and you're quite the talker."

Let me tell you, the whole thing about recruiting soldiers without authorization is completely untrue.

Don't listen to hearsay.

It is you who has violated the law; the Emperor has issued an edict to arrest you and bring you back.

Stop trying to be clever with your words.

Get down right now, so I can tie you up and take you to Chang'an to be dealt with by your father.

If you hesitate, it will be too late to regret it.

at this time,

Su Gui spurred his horse forward: "Zhang Shigui, you should lead your troops to retreat immediately, and we'll pretend nothing happened."

otherwise,

Your arrest of the Crown Prince and your siege of the Imperial Guards are tantamount to rebellion, grave crimes.

Zhang Zhilong was stabbed by Su Gui.

Su Gui was so angry she felt an itch to hate her.

He drew an arrow and shot it at Su Gui.

Su Gui was very alert.

The arrow was deflected by the spear.

Su Gui was extremely annoyed.

When he learned that the arrow had been fired by Zhang Zhilong, Su Gui was furious and ordered his two hundred Imperial Guards to charge straight at Zhang Zhilong.

A chaotic battle was about to break out.

Li Chengan quickly shouted, "Su Gui, stop! Come back!"

Su Gui and his 200 Imperial Guards did not make a move.

but,

Zhang Zhilong, however, ordered his troops to launch an attack on Li Chenggan.

If these 2000 men charged forward with all their might,

Even though Li Chenggan was very skilled in martial arts, he might not be a match for them. This is what they mean by "two fists can't beat four hands" and "a hero can't withstand a crowd".

Li Chengan's expression changed slightly; he realized he might have underestimated Zhang Shigui.

There's a reason why Zhang Shigui was able to be ranked alongside Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, and Yuchi Gong; he was exceptionally skilled at training his troops.

At this moment, Li Chenggan also felt a little panicked.

He sensed that the group was like a mad beast, unstoppable.

A major battle was about to break out.

at this time,

Suddenly someone shouted, "Stop! You mustn't be rude to the Crown Prince!"

Three people appeared in front of Li Chengqian.

Li Chenggan glanced around and saw that the three people who had arrived were none other than the three great assassins: Hegan Chengji, Zhang Shizheng, and Ashina Jieshe.

Behind Zhang Shizheng, there was another person on his back.

That person was Qin Ying.

Zhang Shizheng put Qin Ying down and said to Li Chengan with a smile, "Your Highness, I've brought him back, and he's safe and sound."

Thank you.

Qin Ying was dizzy and disoriented.

He clearly remembered eating steamed buns at a steamed bun shop, so how did he end up back here?

Li Chengan quickly helped him up and asked, "Qin Ying, are you alright?"

Qin Ying struggled to open her sleepy eyes, holding her head in her hand: "Your Highness, my head is throbbing, but it seems I won't die."

"I'm so glad you're alright. Did you see Songtsen Gampo?" Li Chenggan grabbed Qin Ying's arm and asked quickly.

"No, I fainted as soon as I entered Chang'an City."

"Then what happened?" Li Chenggan was very disappointed in Qin Ying.

now,

Then, Hegan Chengji, Zhang Shizheng, and Ashina Jieshe bowed to Li Chenggan.