Chapter 3854 The wealthy family is in decline
In the inner door, Li Chengqian knelt and sat behind the coffee table, drinking tea slowly. The wind and rain outside the window had just begun to subside, and there was a gentle breeze. The dark clouds in the sky dispersed, the moon was like a hook, and there were stars.
Difficulties and dangers can become whetstones, sharpening a person's temperament and character. His Royal Highness, who has always been ridiculed by the government and the public as "cowardly, stupid" and "indecisive", can now face the raging war outside Tai Chi Palace with peace of mind.
Maybe there is still some anxiety and fear in my heart, but at least my face is so calm that I can’t tell it...
Li Jing, the chamberlain general, walked in from behind, received the greeting first, and then reported: "Your Majesty, the rebels have temporarily retreated and gathered their remaining soldiers, but there is no sign of stopping the war. I think they will make some adjustments before launching the next war." The onslaught.”
Li Chengqian handed Li Jing to sit in front of him, poured tea for him with his own hands, and asked: "I heard the battle report earlier that Changsun Wen was killed by Cheng Chubi... Has this been confirmed?"
Li Jing thanked him, holding the tea cup in both hands, and said: "It's absolutely true, the body will be sent here later for His Highness to inspect. During this battle, Bi suddenly had a whim and repeated his old tricks, which was unexpected by everyone. He deserves the first credit for inflicting heavy losses on the rebels.”
The tone was quite emotional.
The previous time they planted gunpowder under the Chengtian Gate to severely injure the rebels. The premise was that Chengtian Gate was no longer defensible at that time, and the rebels would capture it at any time under a fierce attack. Therefore, they could only retreat to the Taiji Palace and plant gunpowder along the way. Unexpectedly, the effect was very good.
But this time it was different. Although the rebels attacked fiercely and put many defense lines in danger, they were never able to truly break through. The East Palace still had the strength to fight. However, Cheng Chubi took the initiative to let go of Chengtianmen and allowed the rebels to break through the defense line. This would most likely lead to the complete collapse of the entire defense line. The rebels broke into Taiji Palace, and the battle situation was out of control.
No one with any sense would do this. If they succeed, they will severely damage the rebels and gain a lot, but if they fail, they will be doomed.
Therefore, Li Jing did not expect that Cheng Chubi would do that, and Changsun Wuji also did not expect... but Cheng Chubi did it.
This situation completely went against the purpose of the art of war that Li Jingyi had learned. He could not fight even one battle for a hundred years, but Cheng Chubi could do it... He now began to review the generals he had given to Donggong Liu. Their behavior of "decompressing" and "relaxing" , he believed that doing so would allow his soldiers to put down their burdens and go into battle lightly, but the "decompression" was obviously too much, making the generals too relaxed and almost forgetting that this was a decisive battle that was about the survival of the East Palace and the life and death of the prince...
Li Chengqian didn't know the process of the battle. He only looked at the results, so he nodded heavily: "Don't worry, Duke Wei, the achievements of the lieutenant generals have been recorded here. After this battle, rewards will be given according to merit. Except for the regulations of the imperial court. In addition to the rewards , Gu will give him an extra generous reward. After all, those who can still fight for Gu and the empire at such a desperate time are all loyal people. No amount of rewards can show their noble and loyal character. "< br>
"In the palace and in the mansion, they are all integrated. There should be no similarities or differences in whether they are punished or not." Zhuge Liang's words to Liu Chan back then, although short of sixteen words, conveyed the most important and core quality of being a ruler - rewards and punishments. distinct.
Those who have made mistakes will be punished, and those who have merit will be rewarded. How can he not be grateful to Donggong Liuli, Youtunwei, and even the Anxi Army who still persisted in such a critical moment and will be generously rewarded in the future?
At this time, the chamberlain came to report that the soldiers had transported Changsun Wen’s body to...
Li Jing asked: "Your Highness, do you need to check your identity?"
Li Chengqian stood up and said: "It's not necessary to check the identity, but I just want to take a look."
Li Jing nodded, stood up and followed Li Chengqian out of the residence and into the yard. Lanterns were burning all around, and the courtyard was bright. Dozens of guards were guarding the courtyard. There was also a small group of soldiers with damaged armor and a look of exhaustion standing in the middle. There was a corpse on the ground.
Li Chengqian did not go to examine the body, but walked quickly to a small group of soldiers, looked at them one by one with kind eyes, and then asked the dark and thin young man in the middle: "Where are you from?"
The soldier turned to the prince, his face flushed with excitement, he swallowed hard, and then stammered: "Return to... your highness, I am from Lantian."
Li Chengqian nodded happily: "It turns out he is a descendant of Guanzhong, not bad."
He looked at the other people and said warmly: "You are loyal, brave and loyal. You are unyielding in the face of the rebels, fighting to the death, and repeatedly inflicting heavy losses on the rebels. You have made great achievements. You are indeed a model for our soldiers of the Tang Dynasty! Fight this battle well, After the war, I will not hesitate to reward you.”
Then, he said in a solemn tone: "After you go out, tell the army commander, if anyone dies heroically, I promise you that the pension and rank you deserve will be doubled. Your wife, children, parents will be cared for by the court, and if your children study, they will be free of charge. If you enter the school established by the imperial court, if you join the army, you will go directly to the Forbidden Army of Gu!"
Several soldiers flushed with excitement. They immediately knelt down on one knee and said loudly: "We will follow His Highness to the death, and we will stay where you are!"
No wonder they were so excited.
Military merit was the most important thing in the Tang Dynasty. Once something was achieved on the battlefield, not only could one be promoted to a higher position and receive generous rewards, but one could also benefit one's children and benefit the whole family. Therefore, the Tang army was extremely brave in battle and had no fear of death. And the prince's promise made them even more overjoyed. For a poor commoner, the biggest reward is not how many levels he will be promoted to, how much money he will be rewarded, or how many acres of land he will be given, but a jump in social level.
This is the most difficult thing. It was better when the country was founded. Once the country is stable, the social class is basically fixed. It is as difficult as climbing to the sky for ordinary people at the bottom to jump up the class. But the promise of the prince gave them hope. If the children in the family become literary, they will be exempted from expenses. This means that their status is different. If there is a way to rise, they can be closer to the water. If they have no way to go directly to the imperial army, they will become the general of the prince's family in one fell swoop. !
With such a reward, why not die in battle?
Li Chengqian then looked at the corpse lying on the ground and took a closer look. It was indeed Changsun Wen... He couldn't help but feel filled with emotion.
Changsun Chong died in prison, and he personally ordered his execution. Changsun Huan committed suicide in front of his house, Changsun Jun died violently in the Western Regions, Changsun Dan suffered a brutal death a long time ago, and now Changsun Wen died in front of the army... …The eldest grandson’s family, which used to be prosperous in the past, has gradually declined.
Such a famous and famous family has also fallen into decline.
The rise and fall of a family often begins with the increase or decrease in the number of people...
I don’t know how sad it would be to see my mother’s spirit in heaven.
But this is war. Since Changsun Wuji provoked this mutiny, he will naturally have to pay the price for it. Both the enemy and ourselves, everyone must fight bravely for the sake of the empire, for the interests of the family, and for personal honor and disgrace. Meritorious generals, veterans of many battles, children of aristocratic families, even him, the prince of the country... everyone will face death.
Defeat will naturally result in the death of one's body, clan and family; victory will also face the broken mountains and rivers, and one does not know how much hard work it will take to complete the reconstruction and restore the former vitality.
There is no winner in this war started by Changsun Wuji.
Well, maybe there is only one...
Li Chengqian stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes raised from Chang Sun Wen's deathly gray face, as if traveling through the dark night to Tongguan in the east...
But, is this really what you want?
You could have prevented all of this from happening, but you allowed it to happen, and even contributed to it. For your own selfish desires, you did not hesitate to plunge the people in Guanzhong into dire straits.
"The people are water, and the king is a boat. Water can carry a boat and capsize it." I have known this truth from my teachers since I was a child. Why have you forgotten it?
……
A house not far away.
It had been rainy for several days. Although it cleared up this evening, the air was cold and humid, and it was too dark inside the inner door, so a charcoal fire was lit, making the room dry and warm.
Princess Changle wore a blue Taoist robe, with green silk on her head tied into a bun and fixed with a jade hairpin. Her neck was white and slender, and her graceful and exquisite figure was hidden under the Taoist robe. She was so beautiful that she looked a bit like an immortal. The posture, the eyebrows are picturesque, the eyes are bright and the teeth are white.
Crown Princess Su sat next to her, holding her hand, and said calmly: "I shouldn't say such things, but what the eldest grandson's family has done is really too much... Empress Wende cares about her natal family and is very fond of his family. What a preferential treatment, what’s the result? ? Queen Wende died, first they treated you harshly, and then they continued to plot against Yi Chu to depose the prince, and now they are raising an army to raise a flag of rebellion. They are simply ungrateful and despicable!" (End of Chapter)