Chapter 4399 Frankly
The soldiers set up a simple awning in front of a forest beside the road. Cheng Yaojin and Li Xiaogong sat across from each other. The charcoal fire in the stove quickly ignited, and the flames licked the kettle. After a while, the spout appeared. heat.
Rain was pouring outside the canopy, and tens of thousands of troops were meandering forward, shouting in front of each other, and marching forward. The front army passed by, but the shadow of the rear army company had not yet been seen. Without a single person, the hour could not be completed...
"The prince is here, but what teachings do you have?"
Cheng Yaojin smiled and stroked his beard, his posture very relaxed.
In recent years, Li Xiaogong has been pampering himself and slandering his reputation. He has been enjoying himself in the mansion all day long. Although he briefly returned to the Western Regions to serve as the Great Protector of Anxi, he also showed a hint of returning to his peak. After all, he has surrendered his military power for many years and his reputation has not improved. It is worse than before, and the top military officials only respect and have no fear of him.
If it were placed in the early years of Zhenguan or the Wude period, how would Cheng Yaojin dare to sit opposite Li Xiaogong? Where the prince is sitting, there is absolutely no seat for him, Cheng Yaojin...
Li Xiaogong's own mentality has long since calmed down. The fierceness of the past has completely disappeared, replaced by more calmness. At this moment, Cheng Yaojin smiled playfully in front of him and did not feel dissatisfied. He only said calmly: "You, Duke Lu, are now in charge of the army. , You are like a hero, and you are no less generous than when you were in Wagang, where you were arrogant and unscrupulous. How can I dare to teach you? I have to speak cautiously, for fear that my words will be disrespectful, and you will order my head to be chopped off and thrown into the ditch by the roadside. .”
"Hey! What the king said is embarrassing. You are the king at any time. You can fight, scold, and do whatever you want! But now that I am older, my temper is inevitably rough. In the past, I was a bit groveling. I can’t do it, it seems a bit casual, but we are respectful of it.”
The kettle was bubbling, and Cheng Yaojin was babbling as he lifted the kettle and made tea.
Li Xiaogong nodded: "It's better to be casual. After all, today is different from the past. If you still act like a county king wherever you go, wouldn't it be offensive to others?"
With one hand, he took the tea cup that Cheng Yaojin offered with both hands, blew on it, took a sip, and praised: "The tea is good."
Cheng Yaojin smiled and said: "The king of the county is here, so the general will naturally take out the good things from the bottom of the box to entertain him, but this year is not peaceful. Half the autumn tea from Jiangnan did not reach Guanzhong, so he drank it all It’s gone.”
Li Xiaogong said: "Just go to Fang Er and ask for some. If others don't have it, his family will always have it."
"I have thought about it, but even though Fang Er is known as 'Yuntian', he is actually a miser. He is the best at doing business. Even if there is good tea at home, I am afraid he will not give it to me. It is possible to charge a sky-high price." Maybe, although I like this, I would feel bad if the price is too expensive, haha.”
……
The two exchanged words, but most of them found it boring, so they both stayed silent and just drank tea in silence.
The rain is pouring outside the shed, the fire is blazing inside the shed, the water vapor is curling up, and the tea is fragrant, which is quite artistic.
After finishing the cup of tea, Cheng Yaojin held the pot and poured tea again, and then asked: "The prince has always been cheerful, but I don't know why he came here this time?"
Verbal exchanges are boring, and hiding things is equally boring. It is better to be open and honest.
Li Xiaogong held the tea cup and felt the heat, and asked: "You are not an idiot, but I really can't understand what you are doing. What are your plans?"
Cheng Yaojin was silent for a moment, took a sip of tea, and said: "The general has no plans at the end."
Li Xiaogong nodded: "It's okay if you don't have any plans."
Then he said: "I came here to comfort you based on your Majesty's instructions. Your Majesty has said that you should not be afraid. As long as you are loyal to the king's affairs and loyal to the country, you can know your way back. For all the past, let it be bygones. Let's talk about it. When you are rewarded for your merits, you will not be treated lightly.”
Cheng Yaojin drank tea and said nothing. The footsteps of soldiers and horses outside the shed were messy and clear, but he was a little distracted.
After a long time, he sighed quietly: "Your Majesty is so generous."
Li Xiaogong deeply agreed: "Throughout the ages, such merciful monarchs have indeed been rare. You and I are lucky."
He could see that His Majesty did not have any reluctance when he said these words in the Hall of Wude, and he meant every word sincerely. He really did not think of severely punishing Cheng Yaojin, and was definitely not a gentle policy under the tense situation. Hold a grudge.
Cheng Yaojin had the military power in his hands and no one could touch him, but the emperor really didn’t want to touch him...
Sometimes he couldn't figure it out. When he was the prince, he was sensitive, perverse and violent, but how could he be kind, kind and open-minded once he sat on the throne?
How can a person's personality change so much?
Or maybe Emperor Taizong's original strategy towards the crown prince was completely wrong, which led to his son being in a state of collapse and despair all the time, leading to an extreme personality and erratic behavior?
But in any case, it is a blessing for the people to have such a monarch.
Cheng Yaojin sighed: "I have no objection to Your Majesty, General Mo, and of course, I have no objection to King Jin either. It doesn't matter which of the two brothers becomes emperor, as long as he is the son of Emperor Taizong. Otherwise, General Mo will never stand idly by even if he is shattered to pieces..." …speaking of At the end of the day, I am still obsessed with power. The promise of the "feudal side" of the Jin Dynasty is really too tempting. If a real man establishes a career in heaven and earth, makes a wife and protects his children, can he ever build a country and pass it on to future generations? Absolute glory?”
Li Xiaogong nodded and expressed his understanding: "At the beginning, Emperor Taizong also consulted the ministers of the court about the hereditary governor and the feudal side. The ministers unanimously opposed it and left it alone. But in fact, everyone understood that Emperor Taizong was just trying this. and Now, if Emperor Taizong is sincere, how can the ministers not be happy and accept it happily? No one is a saint who has no desires. Even a saint has his own pursuit, but no matter what, he can't lose."
This is meaningless. It is just talking about a secret from the past, because when Cheng Yaojin's mercenaries were self-respecting and watched the rebels enter the city to attack Chengtianmen, the King of Jin did not promise Cheng Yaojin "the feudal side"... …
But at this time, His Majesty has stopped pursuing it, so why should he pursue it?
Cheng Yaojin also understood the meaning of Li Xiaogong's words, nodded and said: "Don't worry, Prince, if you don't want to understand the reason, how could the general withdraw from Mingde Gate and rush to Xianyang Bridge? Please report back to your Majesty, the general will They are all loyal to the Tang Dynasty and are willing to rush to Xianyang Bridge to block the rebels who may attack Chang'an and do their best to reverse the situation in Chang'an."
"I am very pleased that you can figure out the key to this."
Li Xiaogong took a sip of tea and asked calmly: "The Guanlong clan has staked everything on this mutiny, life or death, and will never sit back and watch the Jin King's defeat. He will definitely make every effort to contact the garrison and clans in Guanzhong. He would rather So if you rush to Xianyang Bridge this time, you are very likely to face the rebels coming to attack Chang'an. How do you plan to deal with it?"
This guy said that he was trying his best to stop the rebels who wanted to attack Chang'an through Xianyang Bridge. But if there were really rebels who attacked Xianyang Bridge, whether or how to attack it is completely different.
How to say it does not mean how to do it.
Why did Cheng Yaojin dare to swing back and forth between His Majesty and the King of Jin?
It is because he has a loyal and powerful Zuowuwei under his command. This army has been managed by him for many years. All of them are his close confidants, who are willing to go through fire and water for him and obey his orders.
No matter whether the emperor is firmly on the throne or the king of Jin successfully ascends the throne, no one dares to attack such a Zhenguan minister with strong military power. They can only endure it and smile and treat him with hospitality.
If the troops under his command were exhausted and crippled, why would Cheng Yaojin dare to march slowly and deliberately threaten the emperor?
Therefore, if rebels really attack Xianyang Bridge, Cheng Yaojin is not sure how to make a decision...
Cheng Yaojin shook his head and laughed, and said in a loud voice: "We are still at odds with each other. The prince actually forgot about the general's character... Although delaying the march this time is suspected of intimidating his majesty, it is also a last resort for the general. In short, the general may not consider his own willingness to be punished, but he must consider these veterans who have followed him through life and death for many years. Brothers, I can't bear for them to suffer a good end due to my drag. However, since Your Majesty has put past mistakes, the general will still be His Majesty's ministers. The correct way is to correct the mistakes once they are made. How can the Duke rest assured that as long as Zuo Wuwei returns the favor? As long as one person stands and breathes, no one of the rebels can cross the Xianyang Bridge!”
Li Xiaogong glanced at him and hummed: "I hope so."
Cheng Yaojin raised his eyebrows: "Have you ever spoken nonsense in front of the king? Please wait and see."
Then he turned his head and shouted to Niu Jinda, who was standing aside in a raincoat outside the shed: "Give me the order. The whole army should speed up. No rest or food is allowed on the road. Get to Xianyang Bridge and set up camp before dark!"
"Here!"
Niu Jinda accepted the order, and immediately saw more than ten famous captains calling to one place and giving careful instructions. After saluting, the captains turned around and mounted their horses, galloping to various parts of the army to convey military orders. As soon as the military order was issued, the originally procrastinating marching team immediately regained its military appearance. The corps commander and brigade leaders shouted and shouted, and the marching speed suddenly accelerated.
After all, it is one of the most elite troops in the world today, and it is easy to follow orders and prohibitions...
After Niu Jinda conveyed the order, he came to the awning to meet Li Xiaogong first, and then said to Cheng Yaojin: "Commander Qi, the order has been conveyed, and the whole army hastened to Xianyang Bridge."
Cheng Yaojin nodded, and Li Xiaogong had already waved: "Old Niu, come and sit."
"Here!"
Niu Jinda glanced at Cheng Yaojin, stepped forward and sat on either side of them.
Li Xiaogong personally held the pot and poured a cup of tea for Niu Jinda, and said with a smile: "You and I have not been able to sit together and chat like this for many years. It is very emotional to think about our military career."
At the beginning, Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin led Wagang to rely on the King of Qin Li Shimin among the heroes. Niu Jinda, as their younger brother, also followed them. Over the years, they fought for the throne for the King of Qin and appeased the border areas of the Tang Dynasty. Although their status was slightly lower, they were real. Zhenguan Xunchen.
Then, without waiting for Niu Jinda to speak, Li Xiaogong said with a half-smile but not a smile: "The late emperor once told me that Niu Jinda's outstanding merits and loyalty are enough to take charge of one of the Sixteen Guards, but he is held tightly by Cheng Yaojin. Let him go, nothing can be done about it.”
Cheng Yaojin's eyes widened immediately. Wow, you Li Xiaogong, who has thick eyebrows and big eyes, looks upright, but you don't expect to turn out to be a treacherous person. This plan to sow discord has actually led you to come to me? (End of chapter)