Don't be a prince

After gesturing to the rabbit in his hand, the old man said: "The old woman went to the mountains to find some wild vegetables and medicinal materials for you. The rabbit harness I set up caught a rabbit. You are weak, so you still need to nourish yourself."

Li Shimin's throat twitched slightly, and he said, "Thank you for saving my life. I don't know the name of Gao. Afterwards, I... really want to thank you very much."

The old man smiled, went to the stove in the house to light a fire to boil water, and then went to the kang and said: "My surname is Zhang, Zhang Fulu, a humble name, and I can't be a high-ranking name. On the contrary, it's you, young boy, your name is What?"

Without thinking about it, Li Shimin said, "Junior Li Chengqian."

Old man Zhang said in surprise: "Li Chengqian? Why do you have the same name as the crown prince?"

Li Shimin was surprised: "You actually know the name of the crown prince?"

"A few years ago, I went to Guanzhong to pay homage to the ancestral tomb. It was probably the last time in my life. The storyteller on the street happened to talk about the Eastern Turkic War, so he knew the name of the prince."

"It turns out that my father-in-law was from Guanzhong, no wonder the official words are so authentic."

The old man nodded, but felt a little sad, picked up the rabbit on the ground, and walked out.

It didn't take long for the rabbit to be skinned and cleaned, and chopped into small pieces.

Put the rabbit meat in the pot and start to boil, the old man Zhang sat back on the kang again, and said: "Young boy, it's not the old man talking about you, you look like a wandering businessman, and it's inevitable that you will come to some big It is better not to mention your name to outsiders. Although the name was given by your parents and no one cares about it, it is not appropriate to have the same name as the crown prince.

Look at your piece of jade, which is also a rare treasure. Where you were found, there are still many corpses. You have committed crimes. You must have been attacked by bandits! "

Li Shimin could only nod stiffly.

Recalling the origin of the old man, Li Shimin asked: "You are originally from Guanzhong, why did you come to Dingzhou?"

The old man Zhang smiled bitterly and said: "What else can it be because of the eastward expedition to Korea? At the beginning, there was a lack of people to send things to Korea, and the wicked county magistrate sent the old man's family to deliver food. In the end, when we arrived in Dingzhou, who knew that the court would lose After that, when I wanted to go home, I didn’t dare to go back. There was a lot of chaos outside. So, after discussing with my old lady, I settled down in this valley. Although I have to do everything myself, it’s better than going out and throwing It’s better to die than to be strong, isn’t it?”

Li Shimin asked suspiciously: "Don't you know that it's the Tang Dynasty now? Don't you know that the imperial court recruited refugees and divided the fields?"

"What's the use of dividing the land? The old man has no descendants, and he can't grow the land anymore. It's better to hang around in this ravine and wait to die. My wife and I have made an appointment. One day, when one of us dies, the other Go alone with you. After the house is sealed, the bones are not cheap, and the wolf will do."

Hearing old man Zhang's words, Li Shimin couldn't help feeling sad for a while.This should not be the result that an old man should have. Since Datang founded the country with filial piety and righteousness, filial piety is the first word, so such a tragedy cannot be allowed to happen!

Build bridges and repair roads to benefit future generations?People nowadays are not doing well, there is a fart!

Almost habitually, Li Shimin wanted to ask Li Jian to call Fang Xuanling over to discuss the legislation.

but....

Thinking of Li Jian who took the initiative to turn back and rush towards the enemy, Li Shimin's heart ached again.

When it was noon, the smell of stewed rabbit had already emerged, but Mrs. Zhang couldn't wait for her to come back.

Now, not only old man Zhang became anxious, but also Li Shimin became anxious.

Enduring the hunger, Li Shimin said to the old man Zhang standing at the door: "Old man, you don't have to worry about me, you should go find me."

Old man Zhang was about to agree when he heard the sound of horseshoes outside.

Li Shimin propped up his upper body with his arms almost instantly, and yelled at old man Zhang: "Old man, hurry up! Go!"

With the sound of horseshoes outside the door at this moment, Li Shimin only thought that the enemy was chasing him.

However, when an old woman came into the house with a brightly armored monkey, Li Shimin completely lost his strength and lay down again.

Seeing the emperor, Pan Tianhou was overjoyed, rushed to the front of the kang, and knelt down on the ground: "The last general's guards are weak, and the rescue is late, please forgive me!"

Hearing the address of this young general, both Old Man Zhang and Mrs. Zhang were shocked.A dead businessman they picked up from the side of the road turned out to be the emperor?

Li Shimin sighed, turned his head and said to Chuan Tianhou: "Where's Li Jian? Where's Liu Mang? What happened to those soldiers who turned back to meet the enemy?"

Changtian Monkey was silent for a while, and then said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Liu Mang is fine, but he lost his strength and passed out. None of the soldiers who turned back to meet the enemy were spared. As for Chief Li Jian..."

Li Shimin smiled wryly, "Tell me, is he dead?"

"No, but it's also very dangerous. Manager Li Jian has a broken arm and injuries all over his body. The medicine he brought with him can only help him for a while. Whether he can survive it depends on himself."

"Is that so... where is the enemy?"

"A total of 330 traitors, all bowed their heads. From the camp where they lived temporarily, they found letters with the characters of Wang's family and a map drawn by General Hou himself."

"General Hou? Hou Junji?"

"Yes."

Sighing again, Li Shimin didn't know what to say anymore.The Wang family's plan in Chang'an was thwarted, but the poisonous tongue left behind still bit him.

Feeling the severe pain all over his body, Li Shimin ordered: "Find me a carriage, I really can't ride a horse anymore. Send people to Dingzhou, and call all the famous doctors in Dingzhou. Be sure to save Li Jian's life. Help me Wake up, I'm hungry."

Changtian Monkey then got up and helped the emperor to sit up.

Looking at the two old people who were already sluggish at the door, Li Shimin gave a wry smile and said, "It's a must, and I concealed my identity. Don't blame the two old people."

Old man Zhang waved his hands again and again and said, "No wonder, no wonder, are you really His Majesty the Emperor?"

Li Shimin nodded: "However, it is a fact that I was saved by you. Old man, I am hungry, why don't I have a taste of your craft?"

Old man Zhang agreed repeatedly, and quickly filled a bowl of rabbit meat and clear soup in a large coarse porcelain bowl.

After waking up from a coma, it is naturally not suitable to eat this kind of food. What's more, the emperor's diet must be tested for poison.But just when Changtianhou wanted to speak, Li Shimin gave him a glare.

The sky-swapping monkey had no choice but to hold a bowl and feed the emperor.

No salt, no seasoning, no vegetables, how delicious can the stewed rabbit be?But Li Shimin still killed two bowls.

After being helped out to go to the toilet, Li Shimin lay back on the kang again.

Seeing that the two old men were still restrained, Li Shimin smiled wryly and said: "You are my saviors, what are you restrained about, I will stay here for two more days before the carriage arrives, so I will have to ask you two."

Old man Zhang and Mrs. Zhang said repeatedly: "No work, no work."

Seeing that the two were still very restrained, Li Shimin didn't say much.

The kang is very small, more than enough to sleep two people, but it will be crowded if it sleeps three people.But under Li Shimin's insistence, he slept on the kang with the two old people for two days.

On the third day, the governor of Dingzhou came with a carriage and a doctor, and knelt down in front of the emperor.

The assassin who assassinated the emperor appeared in Dingzhou, and he, the assassin, was also to blame.

Looking at the governor kneeling in front of him, Li Shimin remembered his name after a little thought: "Shang Shuwen, right? You have nothing to do with the Wang family. You are also a very conscientious official during the investigation of Baiqisi. So , I don’t blame you for my assassination. But, you tell me clearly why there are two old people in this mountain, but you are indifferent? In the decree of the imperial court’s collection of refugees, there is a strict order that must not be missed, and you turn a blind eye to this decree?”

Shang Shuwen raised his head and said helplessly: "Your Majesty, it's not that the ministers are slack, it's because they don't want to go out of the mountain. If you don't believe me, you can ask the elders. The ministers have come here in person three times."

Li Shimin looked at old man Zhang, who nodded and said, "Your Majesty, you can't blame the governor, the governor has really been here three times, it's because we don't know what's good, it's not the governor's business. It’s really meaningless to come out of the mountain without any relatives.”

Hearing what the old man said, Li Shimin calmed down his anger, and said to Shang Shuwen who was kneeling on the ground: "In that case, I will not punish you. However, the two old men are my saviors. Since they don't want to go out of the mountain I don't want to force it, but, as the governor of Dingzhou, you want to send someone over to take care of the elders and die for them, can you remember?"

Shang Shuwen said: "My minister knows."

Nodding his head, Li Shimin looked at old man Zhang, barely moved his arms and cupped his hands and said, "Old man, this is my kindness, and I hope that old man will not refuse."

The old man Zhang was about to kneel down, but he was held up by the Sky-Changing Monkey. He could only learn to cup his hands and say, "Thank you for the reward, Your Majesty. The little old man is already very content. If someone dies, he can be buried in the earth after death, old man." Very satisfied."

Only then did Li Shimin breathe a sigh of relief. Although he wanted to give a palace, since the other party wanted a thatched cottage, he didn't need to forcefully give the palace.

After taking a last look at the two old men and the furnishings in the house, Li Shimin asked someone to carry him out.

Chapter 5 This makes sense

The knife between the waist and crotch caused serious inflammation, but fortunately, the herbal medicine brought back by Zhang's mother-in-law had anti-inflammatory effects, which suppressed it to some extent.The pain in both shoulders was diagnosed as rheumatism by a doctor in Dingzhou.

Li Shimin still knows something about rheumatism, mainly because he was diagnosed with this disease when he was marching.But since he became the emperor, he hasn't committed another crime for a long time, and he is used to it.Hearing this word again now brings back memories of the past.

Sure enough, the life of a soldier and a horse will definitely cause the root cause of the disease.Now he actually understands Li Jing's difficulties. Based on this calculation, I am afraid that the group of veterans on the frontier will not feel very well.

While Li Shimin was thinking wildly, the curtain of the room was lifted, and Li Jian, who was almost covered in bandages, was carried in.

Seeing Li Jian on the stretcher, Li Shimin tried his best to turn over, just in time to see his slightly opened eyes.

The doctor from Dingzhou also came over, walked up to the emperor's bed and cupped his hands: "Your Majesty, this servant has passed the most dangerous time, and all he needs to do is rest. However, the inflammation of his wound is still very serious. When Caomin went to Chang'an Medical College to study, he saw that the medical school blindly called "injection" a magical medicine, which has a miraculous effect on anti-inflammatory. This servant probably needs this magic medicine to save his life."

injection?It's that vegetarian thing!

Li Shimin said nonchalantly: "No matter what, as long as there is something in this world, I will ask for it. If I don't give it, I will grab it! Since the medical school has this medicine, I will send Hongling to get it urgently!"

The Sky-Changing Monkey on one side nodded, and went out to start making arrangements.

Reluctantly reaching out to touch Li Jian on the stretcher, Li Shimin smiled wryly and said, "This time, you and I, master and servant, are unlucky together. Forget it, let's not leave for the time being. In this Dingzhou, we will recover from our injuries and return to the hospital." Chang'an! Back then you told me that you would use this life to repay my kindness, and from then to now, you have saved me twice. So, this time, I owe you."

Listening to the emperor's calm words, Li Jian burst into tears.He knew very well that the main reason why the emperor did not return to Chang'an but stayed in Dingzhou was because of him.For an eunuch to be treated like this by His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, he only felt that even if he died in the next moment, he would have no regrets.

The emperor's one-person ward became two-person, with one more patient lying on the same bed, both of them felt much better.

In the evening, when it was time to have dinner, the person who brought the plate of rice into the house was not the maid, but the bear-looking Liu Mang.

Seeing Liu Mang, Li Shimin's mood suddenly became better, and he beckoned Liu Mang to come closer.

Walking to the side of the bed and helping the emperor straighten his upper body, Liu Mang knelt on one knee and said, "Your Majesty, that day, I also put on your dragon robe for your safety and threw you into the grass nest. You can't punish me for this!"

Li Shimin laughed loudly, because the laughter affected the injuries on his body, and suddenly turned into a wry smile.

After finally calming down his laughter, Li Shimin said: "What are you punishing? Instead, I want to reward you heavily. I heard that you even climbed up a cliff and stood guard on the top of the cliff, killing many people? "

Liu Mang said with a smile: "Isn't it because I was chased so anxiously that I climbed up the mountain, but fortunately, Your Majesty, you were rescued, otherwise..."

"Otherwise what? If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would have died by the time those dead men caught up. I remember when I was by the river, you wanted me to make you the general of the country? I can canonize you, and when you return to Chang'an, let the Ministry of Officials issue you official uniforms and seals, how about it?"

Liu Mang was startled, and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, the last general is just talking about it for fun, don't take it seriously. General Zhen Guo is a second-rank official, I don't have that kind of merit, but if you really want a reward, Just seal me as General Dingyuan, no matter how you say it, I am a general.”

Seeing that Liu Mang didn't answer, but made his own request, Li Shimin was naturally happy to agree.

"Okay, General Dingyuan is also fine, but the credit for your rescue this time, General Dingyuan alone, can't match your credit at all. How about it, I heard that you lost your double mace? It's in my treasury. , and a large piece of meteoric iron. How about I find the best weapon craftsman and use it to make you two magic weapons?"

Hearing this, Liu Mang's snarls flowed out, but fortunately, knowing that this was in front of the emperor, he wiped the corners of his mouth and quickly agreed.

Li Shimin appreciates Liu Mang's simple and honest appearance, but he just doesn't know what expression he will have when he learns that Liu Mang has a simple appearance but his stomach is full of gossip.

After dinner with Liu Mang's help, Li Shimin took out the Chuan Guo Yuxi again and handed it to Liu Mang.

"This time, you can't resist the decree. You take the jade seal back to Chang'an and tell the prince that I can't help him in the crisis of Tang Dynasty this time, and he has to find a way to solve it by himself. With this jade seal, the prince can Governance with hands and feet, do you understand?"

If the last time Yuxi was handed over to Liu Mang was out of necessity, this time, it was completely trusted.

Liu Mang nodded, got up and walked a few steps to the side before coming back, scratching his head and said, "Your Majesty, don't you want to write a letter to Chang'an?"

Li Shimin shook his head: "Tell the prince, this is the last test I will give him. After passing this test, even without my nod, he will be able to become emperor."

Liu Mang didn't quite understand what the emperor said, but this jade seal was very important to the prince, so he still knew it clearly.So he didn't say anything more, and after helping Li Jian to drink some porridge, he left the ward and rode back to Chang'an that night.

Those who arrived in Chang'an one step ahead of Liu Mang were the two urgent performances of the governor of Dingzhou.

The first urgency tells the story of the emperor being attacked and missing in Dingzhou.

Such a memorial undoubtedly pierced the sky. If Li Chengqian and Fang Xuanling hadn't chosen to block the news, even more troublesome troubles would have erupted in the miserable Tang Dynasty, which had been tortured by many borders.

Due to the principle of confidentiality, there was no way to reply to Dingzhou, so Li Chengqian could only "kidnap" Sun Simiao, and then sent his secret guards to Dingzhou.

After another busy day of routine court meetings, Fang Xuanling stayed behind. Even though it was lunch time, the two of them sat together, but neither of them was in the mood to eat.

Because of worry, the corners of Li Chengqian's mouth twitched, and in the study where outsiders were completely forbidden to enter, there was Dingzhou's Jizhuo on the table.

The two of them looked at each other several times, but they were both speechless. This situation has lasted for three days.

Picking up Dingzhou's urgent play on the table, Li Chengqian said with a wry smile: "I really don't know what kind of chaos the Tang Dynasty will be in if something really happens to the father. Especially now that foreign enemies are in the face and something about the Wang family has happened. ...."

Fang Xuanling sighed: "There are many accidents. After all, who would have thought that a small bridge would cut off the personal guards for His Majesty. Meteor Dragon Bridge, Pang Tong was killed in Fengpo in the past, and today His Majesty met again." Meteor Dragon Bridge..."

Having said that, seeing the Prince's unkind face, Fang Xuanling quickly left his seat and knelt down and said, "Your Highness, the old minister was outspoken for a while, please forgive me, Your Highness."

Li Chengqian said helplessly: "Forget it, before the result is determined, no one can say for sure. I only hope that the father is safe and sound, otherwise, the Tang Dynasty will be in chaos again."

Fang Xuanling didn't get up, but said: "Actually, it's very simple to make the Tang Dynasty stable. Although His Majesty's situation is unknown, the Queen is still in the palace. If the Queen is willing to nod, and King Wei and King Wu .With the support of the three kings of Jin and the support of Weichen and others, if you choose to ascend the throne and make your majesty the Supreme Emperor..."

Li Chengqian stood up, walked to Fang Xuanling's side, pulled him up and said, "Come on, Gu also knows that this will happen, but the father is still strong and strong, why is Gu in a hurry to ascend the throne? It is indeed in the harem, but how do you speak alone?"

Fang Xuanling sighed: "Since that's the case, I advise Your Highness to be prepared. According to the usual practice, princes and princesses from all over the country should be summoned to Beijing. In case something happens to His Majesty, I will also prepare well." It's a surefire solution, isn't it?"

Li Chengqian thought about it, then nodded.

Moreover, regarding the current crisis in the Tang Dynasty, calling the feudal lords from all over the place back to Chang'an can also prevent them from thinking that they shouldn't.

Fang Xuanling said: "Since that's the case, I'm going to draft an imperial edict."

After cupping his hands and saluting, Fang Xuanling was about to leave when Zhang Yun's anxious voice came from outside the study: "His Royal Highness! Dingzhou hasten to play!"

"Come in!"

Hearing the words "Dingzhou", Li Chengqian shouted out immediately.

Zhang Yun pushed open the door and entered, and delivered a memorial in his hand to the prince.

Anxiously opened the memorial and took a look, Li Chengqian breathed a sigh of relief.