Tang Dynasty

Li Jiancheng closed his eyes slightly, his long eyelashes drooping, trembling slightly with panting.Li Shimin looked at him and forced himself to look away.He came here today for other reasons, if this continues, I'm afraid... it will be out of control.

"Shimin, you have something to say." After a while, Li Jiancheng calmed down, looked up at him, and his expression became calm again.

Li Shimin quietly took a deep breath, walked to the other side, and when he sat down, he changed into a calm and breezy attitude.He raised his eyes to look at Li Jiancheng, and said slowly: "Shimin heard that Zhu Guokang will leave soon and return to Turkic, is there such a thing?"

"Before he captured Chang'an, he had this plan." Li Jiancheng said without moving his eyes, "However, due to his injuries, he had to postpone it again and again."

Li Shimin nodded, his eyes were still fixed on his face, unwilling to let go of the slightest change in expression.However, under the jump of the candle shadow, Li Jiancheng smiled as usual, it was clearly a mask that was too perfect, but he couldn't find any flaws.

Hanging eyes smiled helplessly, and after a long time, Li Shimin finally opened his mouth and asked, "Brother, tell me, do you have any old acquaintance with that Zhu Guokang scabbard?" He looked at the other party with no concealment in his eyes Sincerely and hopeful.

In fact, what he did here was nothing more than Li Jiancheng's truth.He knew that if he asked such a question, the other party would definitely notice it, but he also knew that if the other party told him frankly, then he might stop his original plan.

At least, that is enough to show that the eldest brother trusts himself and is willing to tell him what he thinks in his heart.

But Li Jiancheng just smiled lightly when he heard the words, and asked back: "Why do the people of the world come here to ask?"

Li Shimin paused for a moment, and finally asked again: "If it wasn't for this, brother is in trouble, why did Kang Jiaoli save him again and again?"

With these words, the layer of veil between the two is about to be lifted.However, Li Jiancheng smiled a bit more obviously, and said lightly: "When did the people of the world start to care about these things? Turks and I still have an alliance. If one side is in danger, how can the other side stand by?"

With an understatement, the layer of veil was closed again.This remark was exactly the same as what Zhu Guo said that day.

Li Shimin felt stunned when he heard the words, but he suppressed it and forced a smile: "Since the eldest brother said this, he must be on good terms with him, and it is nothing more than showing the friendship of the landlord, but the people of the world should worry too much." Standing up, he said, "It's getting late, Shimin won't disturb elder brother's rest."

After finishing speaking, he walked a few steps but turned around again, looked at him steadily, and said slowly: "Brother, in fact, the wishes of the people of the world are not many."

Li Jiancheng looked at him, the smile on his face gradually faded away.He said word by word: "Shimin, don't ruin the overall situation for personal gain."

However, Li Shimin just smiled when he heard the words, didn't answer, just turned and left.

Li Jiancheng watched him come out after closing the door, knowing that the other party's temptation today was by no means groundless, in all likelihood...he heard something.Thinking of this, he immediately got up, took the fox fur and put it on his body, and walked towards the door.

However, when he reached the door, he suddenly stopped.After a moment of silence, he finally walked back to the desk, picked up a pen and hurriedly wrote a few words on the paper.Then he summoned a servant and said, "Send this letter to Zhu Kingdom immediately without delay."

----

At that time, Duo Bi was packing his luggage in the house for a while.Looking up at first glance, he suddenly saw the bright moon outside the window, so he couldn't help but put down his belongings, put on his outer robe, and pushed the door out.

There was no one in the courtyard, and it was extremely quiet. He went to the stone bench in the courtyard and sat down. He looked up and felt that the moonlight was so bright that it made the night look like day.

I still remember that when I was outside the Great Wall, there were thousands of miles of desert and no one inhabited, I just felt that there was always infinite desolation in the moonlight.However, it was only when I came to the Central Plains that I discovered that the bright moon, under the cover of the foliage, can have such a soft and intoxicating side.

The same round of bright moon, cloudy and sunny, but it is so unpredictable that it is impossible to break it.

As with the month, so with people.

Thinking of this, Duo Bi couldn't help lowering his eyes, and smiled softly.

——Jiancheng, I don’t know the difference, can you and I still meet later?

At this moment, there was a sound of hurried footsteps.Duo Bi followed the prestige, but saw a servant-like person hurriedly approaching him, bowed and said: "Your Majesty sent a young man to deliver a letter."

It is clear that they are not far apart, but they use this method.Doubt was slightly suspicious in his heart, and he stretched out his hand to take the thin letter paper.When I opened it, I saw that the handwriting on it was scrawled, adding a sense of elegance.

But only four words.

"Let's go fast tonight."

Doubi's heart tightened, and he immediately said to the servant: "Go back and tell the prince, and say that I have known about it."

When the servant left in a hurry, Duo Bi immediately got up and went back to the room.After tidying up a few pieces of clothing hastily, he raised his long knife and headed out the door.

He got on his horse and galloped all the way to the city gate.

Due to the status of the Zhu Kingdom, he has always been able to come and go freely in the city.Therefore, when he went out of the city late at night, the guards did not dare to stop him.

After leaving the city, he slowly slowed down the speed of the horse.

There is no sound in the wilderness on the outskirts of the city, except for the bright moon, which is still closely following me.

He raised his head again, and this time, he laughed at himself.

Just sigh, it's too late to say goodbye.

However, when he withdrew his gaze and looked forward again, he unexpectedly saw a figure.

The figure was sitting high on the horse, holding a long sword, and one could tell who it was without looking at the face.

Duo Bi let out a low sigh, lifted the rein and paused in place, quietly watching the figure slowly approaching, a face revealed in the moonlight.

In fact, even though Li Jiancheng's letter was only four words, the moment he saw the letter, he understood in his heart: he was so eager that his identity might have been exposed.

"Second Young Master." Duo Bi shook his head, his voice was very calm, "I didn't expect that it would be Second Young Master who didn't want me to leave."

Li Shimin rode his horse and approached slowly, his facial features were outlined in the night, but his expression was somewhat blurred.He sneered, and said: "Zhu Guokang's scabbard is about to leave, how can Shimin stop it. But... if it is the prince who wants to leave, Shimin will not be able to stand by and watch."

With a wry smile, he sighed, "What's the difference?"

"Of course." Li Shimin was only an arm's length away from him at this time, he lifted the rein of the horse, stopped the horse's hooves, and said, "Zhu Guokang's scabbard stayed in our army because he came for the covenant; but he didn't know, The prince aggressively pretended to stay here under the guise of his identity, but why?"

Duo Bi sighed: "Second Young Master has already made up his mind, so why ask again?"

Li Shimin sneered and said: "Shimin is calculating in his heart, how can the prince know? Why not tell the truth?"

Seeing his persecution, he pondered for a moment aggressively, finally looked at him, and said word by word: "What if I say, 'for the completion'?"

Hearing that he didn't call "Shizi" in his words, but only referred to him as "Jiang Jian", Li Shimin was furious immediately, and raised his hand to strike him with a sword.

Du Bi lifted the rein and turned sideways, barely avoiding it, but the old wound on his waist couldn't withstand the pull, and immediately set off a sharp pain.

"I can't beat you right now." Wei Wei bowed his body, looking at Li Shimin's eyes burning with anger, but his expression was unusually calm.

"You have an injury on your waist, and so does my back," Li Shimin asked coldly, "Why can't you win? You just don't want to compete with me?"

"Second Young Master's wound is on his left shoulder, but his right arm can still use the sword; I'm wounded on his right abdomen, and the slightest movement can restrain the old wound." Duo Bi said truthfully, paused, and sighed, "Actually, it's not that I don't want to be with Second Young Master It's just that I don't want to compete... because of this reason."

The calmer he behaved, the more angry Li Shimin felt in his heart.

"At this moment..." He swung his sword again and said in his mouth, "I'm afraid I can't help you!"

I saw a cold light flashing, and in an instant, the long sword in his hand had already slashed across the chest of Agbi.Blood splashed out immediately, staining the blade red.

Aggressively clutching his wound, he slowly fell down on the horse.Fortunately, the five fingers held the rein tightly so that he would not fall down.

He didn't even draw his saber, this was really beyond Li Shimin's expectation, but he didn't know whether it was because he was powerless to fight, or he didn't care at all.Li Shimin still sneered, and quickly stepped back a few steps, and then a dozen guards flashed behind him.

"Take it back." Li Shimin ordered in a cold voice, then lifted the reins and walked slowly past Duobi.

Aggressively laughed at himself, raised his head with difficulty, and said to Li Shimin in a hoarse voice: "Second Young Master... you are really ruthless."

Li Shimin paused for a while, but left slowly as if he had never heard of it.

----

The next day, it was reported that Zhu Guokang's scabbard was originally a prince, and immediately caused an uproar in the court.

Li Yuan called everyone to discuss this matter, after hearing Li Shimin's report of what happened last night, he pondered for a moment, and said to the bottom: "In your opinion, how should this matter be handled?"

"Father!" Li Shimin clasped his fists again after hearing this, and stepped forward, "The Turks are savage and greedy, and have invaded our borders year after year. The alliance with them back then was a last resort to ensure the march south. Now that we have occupied Guanzhong, There is still Yuanji guarding the city of Taiyuan, and the majestic Li family is far from what it used to be, so why bother to be restrained by that mere barbarian? Instead of bowing to him and paying tribute every year, it is better to detain Shibi Khan’s younger brother in Beijing In the middle, it is enough to teach him not to dare to act rashly for the rest of his life."

As soon as this remark came out, several generals under his tent agreed one after another, saying that if the Turks dared to violate the border, they would definitely teach them to go and never return.

Hearing this, Li Yuan just fell silent.He looked up at the rest of the people, but they were all silent.

Li Shimin stood in the hall, his eyes fixed on Li Jiancheng, clearly waiting for him.However, the other party just sat quietly, without any intention of speaking.

"My lord, I think that although what the second son said is true, it seems that it is still too early to break with the Turks." Pei Ji is the best at observing words and expressions. Seeing the impasse at this time, he stood up and said slowly, "I Although the army occupies Chang'an, and regardless of Luoyang Yang Guang is still in his position, even the land in the middle of the pass is also a place where all the heroes are rising together, and it is not stable. If we detain Zhuguo in Beijing and attract Turks to invade, then other If we collude with the forces in Guanzhong, I'm afraid we will be single and weak, and we won't have a very good chance of winning."

His words were soft, yet extremely persuasive.Li Yuan nodded slowly when he heard the words, as if he felt the same way.After a pause, he turned to his eldest son and said, "Jiancheng, why didn't you speak?"

Li Shimin had already returned to his seat and sat down. Hearing this, he turned his head and stared at him with burning eyes.He knew in his heart that the eldest brother would intercede for that aggressive man this time, but thinking about it this way, he felt only bursts of anger in his heart.

But seeing Li Jiancheng got up and walked into the hall, he paused, and said: "Jiancheng thinks that Shimin and Mr. Pei are both right. This matter... I ask my father to decide." After saying this, he returned to his seat and ignored him Surprised eyes from everyone in the room.

Li Shimin was also stunned.He couldn't understand why he couldn't see through Li Jiancheng's mind from the beginning to the end.

When the lips and teeth were entangled that day, I thought he would refuse, but the other party just accepted it; today in this class, when I thought he would strongly oppose detaining the aggressive one, he just stood still.

——Brother, what are you thinking in your heart?

He turned his face and looked at Li Jiancheng without any scruples.But the other party's expression was indifferent, but from the beginning to the end, he never looked at himself.

The discussion lasted for half a day, and the generals of Li Shimin's faction strongly advocated keeping Du Bi as a hostage to fight against the Xiongnu; the senior officials headed by Pei Ji all thought it was too early; the eldest son Li Jiancheng did not express his position;

From then on, there is no result in the end.Seeing this, Li Yuan waved his hands and said, "This matter... let's discuss it another day."

After the crowd dispersed, Li Jiancheng got up and left.Li Shimin trotted to catch up with his pace, grabbed his hand from behind, and held it tightly through his sleeve.Li Jiancheng didn't dodge even half of it, but his steps never stopped.

Unwilling to be reconciled, Li Shimin followed him, stared at him and said, "Brother, are you going to get angry with me because of that barbarian?"

Li Jiancheng stopped in his tracks and gave him a sideways glance, with an inexplicable look in his eyes.He pondered for a moment, and then said: "Shimin, you really captured that Tubi... just to take the opportunity to break with the Turks?"

"No." Li Shimin looked into his eyes firmly, and said slowly for a long time, "Big brother will not know the reason."

Hearing this, Li Jiancheng chuckled lightly, as if mocking himself, but also as if sneering.With a slight struggle, he shook off the opponent's hand and said, "Shimin, do you remember what I said to you last night?"

Li Shimin looked at him intently and nodded very slowly.

"No," Li Jiancheng lowered his eyes slightly, shook his head and said, "You have ruined the overall situation because of your own personal interests."

This was said very plainly, without any annoyance.However, after Li Jiancheng left these words, he turned around and strode away without any further pause.

Li Shimin stood at the same spot in vain, watching his back gradually drifting away, he felt that his hands were suddenly empty.

Looking down at his palm, he suddenly clenched his fist with force.

—Brother, did Shimin really do something wrong?

——No, it really annoys you so much if you get caught.The people of the world have never done anything wrong.