The Northwest Feng'an Central Army tent was usually noisy when civil and military officials gathered together, but today when Li Chuyun walked in, he saw civil and military officials standing on both sides, and the tent was dead silent. As if they had discussed it beforehand, everyone turned to look at Li Chuyun.
Li Chuyun strode to the simple bench and table in the north, holding his sword, sat down upright, raised the paper in his hand and said: The Privy Council ordered that in order to prevent the Liao army from taking action in the east, the war in the northwest should be temporarily suspended, and the Hexi Corps should return to Beijing immediately to make further plans. What do you have to say
The dozens of people in the tent fell into complete silence.
Li Chuyun asked Wei Renpu again:
Wei Renpu clasped his fists calmly and said: Li Gong is the commander-in-chief, what do you think we should do
Li Chuyun immediately slapped the paper on the table: "Take it down and show it to everyone. This commander intends to follow the order of the Privy Council and prepare to march today."
After he said that, he stood up and strode out of the tent.
When he arrived at Li Chuyun's tent, he saw his staff member Zhong Li chasing him. Li Chuyun turned his head to look at him and waved.
As soon as Zhong Li entered the tent, he immediately lowered the animal skin curtain and walked forward and asked anxiously: "Why did Lord Li decide such an important matter so easily?"
Li Chuyun said: Mr. Zhong is referring to the return of the army to the court.
Exactly. Zhong Li nodded vigorously, looking anxious and worried.
Li Chuyun stroked his beard and said calmly: "The Privy Council has always been in charge of the order, and it has always been the emperor's will. In this case, the military order is in front of us, so why hesitate?"
Zhong Li looked distressed, his eyes wide open, and took two steps closer, whispering: What kind of atmosphere is Daxu? Can it be compared with the dynasties after the end of the Tang Dynasty? Even if the Liao army fanned the flames in the northeast, it would not have caused the Northwest Army, which had already set out 2,000 miles away, to lose all its efforts halfway.
Li Chuyun already knew what Zhong Li wanted to say, but he didn't say anything.
Zhong Li couldn't wait to say: There will be a dramatic change in the court
Li Chuyun was not surprised, nor did he refute. He just said: "The emperor's grace is great. The Li family has been deeply favored by the emperor, so we have a noble family. The government has worked hard to govern the country, and the country's prestige has grown and people's livelihood has improved. I am grateful for your kindness and loyalty to the people of the world.
Zhong Li said: I know Lord Li is loyal and brave. I served Lord Li at an old age because I saw Lord Li's righteousness. However, people in the world may not be able to do what they want. I have received Lord Li's kindness, so I will naturally only plan for him.
Li Chuyun pondered and said: The government's heart is like a mirror and it must know my heart.
Zhong Li shook his head and said: "At this point, it doesn't matter what Lord Li's intentions are. Your mistake is that you are the highest-ranking general of the imperial army. Did Zhang Yongde have second thoughts back then?"
Li Chuyun was no less knowledgeable than Zhong Li, but he still said: "Hey, I will hand over all my military power when I return to Beijing, and enjoy a leisurely and wealthy life like Zhang Yongde. What's wrong with that?"
Zhong Li said: But Zhang Yongde has no grandson who is a prince.
Li Chuyun was speechless for a moment.
Although the prince Guo Zhang is not the legitimate son, he is older than the legitimate son. Li Chuyun should help Guo Zhang to ascend to the throne, both emotionally and rationally, and both publicly and privately. As long as Guo Zhang is in the throne, what kind of existence is Li Chuyun? The most heartbreaking thing is that no one believes that Li Chuyun will give up planning and fighting for opportunities for his grandson to become the son of his beloved daughter.
As for any ups and downs in the middle, as long as Li Chuyun is not dead, with his status, reputation, prestige and ability, he will have a chance sooner or later.
Li Chuyun said calmly: "Don't talk nonsense. The emperor is in his prime and must be in good health. Even if it is as Mr. Zhong said, there may be changes in Tokyo, but it is not clear what the changes are."
Zhong Li whispered: "The situation is pressing. I have a saying: if you take a step back, you will be crushed to pieces. If you take a step forward, there is still a chance for a ray of hope. Mr. Li is loyal to others, but others will stab you in the heart. I don't know how it feels."
Shut up! Li Chuyun glared, suddenly very angry. He usually got along well with the civil servants, had a good temper, and rarely got angry, but at this moment his face became even redder with anger. After a moment, he took a deep breath and said coldly, "Mr. Zhong, please go down first. I want to be quiet for a while."
After hearing this, Zhong Li clasped his fists, bowed, and left.
Li Chuyun sat alone in the tent, and the sound of horse hooves and horns outside was so familiar. He seemed to see the exciting past with the young man, pointing at the mountains and rivers, and galloping on horseback, and seemed to hear the man's low and passionate confession of ambition. The brothers who shared life and death with the emperor and his subjects, the golden swords and iron horses galloping, the prosperous times, the splendid mountains and rivers, a glorious dynasty that is surpassing the Han and Tang dynasties is rising. The infinite glory and light, the eternal admiration, the words of praise in history, make people's blood boil.
Li Chuyun's eyes were red, and turbid tears rolled out of his rough eyes, flowing along his thick red face and thick black beard. Li Chuyun stretched out his hands to his helpless mouth and nose, and his suppressed voice was like the howling of a wounded beast.
Zhong Li's tent was not far from Li Chuyun. As soon as he walked back and left people's sight, an expression of ecstasy suddenly appeared on his face. He opened his mouth, most of his teeth had fallen out, and made an expression of laughter, but he held back and did not make any sound.
After a while, Zhong Li suddenly burst into tears again. He cried and laughed alternately for a long time, and finally calmed down.
He sat cross-legged on the straw mat with his back to the tent entrance, in a daze.
Indistinctly, he seemed to see a graceful fairy, the beautiful sister-in-law of the Li family. Her smile was as beautiful as a bell, and her laughter was as clear as before his eyes. She was kind and warm.
The beautiful dream of youth is distant and hazy. It has been so long that Zhong Li almost forgot it. But there is one thing that cannot be forgotten, and that is the relatives who are thicker than blood.
Even his own son, his only descendant in this world.
Perhaps, Hedong Little White Dragon Li Yun never knew who the old man who liked the Book of Changes and fortune-telling was. But what was important was that seeing Li Yun grow up into a vigorous hero and become a general, even if he had no title, Zhong Li was relieved from the bottom of his heart.
Zhong Li had never had an heir when he was young, and he didn't care too much at that time. The older you get, the more you value some things. Li Yun, his only son and only relative, is the lifelong hope and spiritual sustenance of this old man who is about to be buried.
But his only relative died.
Zhongli was well-read in the classics and could usually distinguish right from wrong. In his heart, he also felt that Li Yun had brought the blame upon himself. However, it is easy to say no matter what the reason. When it comes to one's own relatives, who can tell right from wrong? Back then in Hedong, Zhongli was the most staunch aide who opposed Li Yun's rebellion. But what was the use? Aides were just aides after all.
Zhong Li was old and weak, with not much time left. Everything was gone. The only reason that kept him from waiting for death was the hatred in his heart. Guo was just a commoner after all. He was born in troubled times and seized the opportunity. However, he killed Li Yun and even slaughtered Li Yun's descendants and the entire family.
From young women to children, no one was spared. The elderly helplessly waited for their descendants to be liquidated like animals. He shivered all over for many nights.
Full of blood, a life debtor, Zhong Li swore that he would not let him go even if he became a ghost
But Guo was quite capable, and later ascended the throne and became emperor. He had great achievements in both civil and military affairs. Zhongli was an old man half buried in the ground, with nothing. The gap in strength was too great. Perhaps revenge was just a daydream.
Zhong Li couldn't think of any solution. Even if he insisted on not giving up everything he did, he often felt that it was in vain. For example, he lured Li Chuyun's brother Li Liangshi into eating, drinking, whoring and gambling, and then lent him money, taking the opportunity to make friends with him and threaten him, so as to instruct Li Liangshi to do things for him. Li Liangshi recommended Zhong Li at the beginning, and then he played a good play of seeking a great hermit in a busy city, and this made the founding Duke Li Chuyun believe that Zhong Li was a rare talent.
Zhong Li didn't know if doing all this would really help, but he believed that being with Li Chuyun was his chance. It didn't matter what kind of person Li Chuyun was, the key was his position.
The old man had very little chance, so he had to do his best at every step. Including the conversations in the market, the topics of righteousness and loyalty, Zhong Li gradually gained Li Chuyun's trust, and now he almost succeeded in making Li Chuyun treat him as his confidant.
Even so, Zhong Li's chances were slim. His age was his biggest weakness. His hair and beard were mostly white, and he might die at any time. Not to mention himself, even Li Chuyun might not be able to outlast Guo.
So many times, Zhong Li had no hope at all, but he just couldn't stop and kept going step by step, desperate and helpless.
At this moment, hope ignited today's transfer order, allowing Zhongli to confirm that something must be wrong, and the opportunity came.
This is the reason why Zhong Li did everything in vain, this is the opportunity he is waiting for; if there is no such opportunity, everything he does is meaningless. Years of planning and preparation are like a dead and dull chess game, or like a pile of boring fireworks, which are dim and dull. But as long as there is a spark, everything will come alive and bloom all over the sky, which is very exciting.
God has eyes, karma will be rewarded.
Zhong Li took a deep breath, stroked his white beard, and gradually calmed the blood rushing in his chest. The dreamlike wonderful past and the grievances and hatreds in his heart disappeared like mist, and the low and simple marching tent, dim and narrow, returned to the scene in front of him. Zhong Li slowly let out that breath, his heart was as cold as ice and as calm as water. Only the strategy was in his mind, just like the flowers blooming in spring and the fruits growing in autumn, everything was inevitable, which made him full of confidence.
Zhong Li murmured: As soon as I climbed the high building, I felt a thousand miles of sorrow. The reeds and willows looked like sandbanks. The clouds on the stream rose and the sun sank into the pavilion.
His eyes lit up, and from his old, wrinkled lips came a sentence: