This general was not one of Li Yu's or the Empress's, but Xu Shi's.
He did not know why the Princess would ask such a question. After a moment of silence, he replied, "Since there is no edict, the general is naturally still in the south."
"It is better to be honest at this time. If I am not wrong, General Xu Shi has already started his return journey after the news of father's death reached Nanzhao. "
Li Yu said, "Now is not the time to pursue these things. I want you to tell the old general that Chang 'an and the Empire need him the most now. The West-Hill Divine Palace has ordered the world to attack the Tang Empire, and it will definitely be disadvantageous to him. The old general must be careful."
The general did not expect the Princess not to blame the military for acting on their own, but to give him such an instruction. He said, "Please rest assured, Your Highness. The general will definitely return to Chang 'an safely."
Hearing this, Lee Yu's mind finally relaxed a little.
Next, the eunuch brought Censor Song into the imperial study.
The censor had nothing to do with military or political affairs, but Li Yu summoned him because of military and political affairs. This was because Censor Song was the liaison between her and the warlords of Qinghe County.
"The imperial court has already called back the Northern Army. The Western Army and the Southern Army have also received military orders. They will soon head north to resist the cavalry of the Golden Palace. The West-Hill Divine Palace has been planning for many years. The South Jin Emperor's pain of losing his son has not subsided. There will definitely be an army coming from the south. To stop them, we can only rely on the navy on the Great Lake and the warlords of Qinghe County."
The things that Li Yu had mentioned were all arranged by the imperial court. There was no problem of secrets being leaked. She looked at Censor Song quietly and said, "I will not forget my promise to the warlords of Qinghe County. I also hope that the warlords will perform well at this time. I am looking forward to the arrangements that the warlords will make in the West-Hill Divine Palace."
Censor Song knelt down on both knees without hesitation and bowed deeply. He said sincerely, "Please rest assured, Your Highness. The 100,000 state troops of Qinghe County and the 30,000 Zhuang troops of the warlords will definitely cooperate with the navy. We will fight to the death to stop the Divine Hall and the South Jin Kingdom's army from the south of the Great Swamp. Even if we lose in the end, we will definitely buy enough time for the empire."
"Very good," Li Yu looked at him quietly and said.
After Censor Song left, Grand Scholar Mo Han of the Hall of Illustrious Persons walked out from behind the bookshelves. He looked at the tightly closed door of the imperial study and said with a little worry, "If there is a Defender-general of the State in Chang 'an, both the military and the people's morale will be further stabilized. I'm still worried about Qinghe County. Although the warlords have surrendered for many years … "
"Don't worry. The clans spent so many resources to push Huiyuan and me to this position. Even if they have other ideas, they can't change their direction in such a short period of time. Otherwise, the strong tearing force will cause great problems within the clans. "
Li Yu did not wait for him to finish. She said coldly, "Moreover, the descendants of the warlords, including Elder Cui's second son and a few grandsons, are all in Chang 'an. How can they be disloyal?"
Mo Han thought for a moment and felt that there were indeed no loopholes in Her Highness's arrangement. However, the worried expression on his face was still not completely gone. He asked, "Is there still no movement from the Academy?"
Li Yu was silent. Suddenly, she picked up a paperweight from the table and threw it on the ground.
With a crack, the paperweight broke into countless pieces.
She could not suppress the anger in her heart. Her body trembled as she said, "The Academy is still closed … The Tang Empire has nurtured the Academy for thousands of years. Now that the empire is in danger, are they still not willing to help?"
At this moment, a eunuch outside the imperial study said something softly.
Li Yu's anger had not subsided. She ordered him to leave.
The eunuch's voice trembled slightly, but he did not leave. He continued to say that someone wanted to see Her Highness.
Hearing that person's name, Li Yu was stunned.
Mo Han frowned slightly and said, "Your Highness, you can see him yourself. I will leave first."
…
…
The person who entered the palace that night and insisted on seeing Her Highness was Chao Xiaoshu. No wonder neither the guards nor the chief eunuch dared to ask him to leave. They didn't even dare to report it.
Li Yu looked at the middle-aged man in a green robe under the autumn tree. After a moment of silence, she said, "A few days ago, I specially invited Second Uncle Chao to the palace, but he ignored me. Why do you want to see me today?"
Chao Xiaoshu said, "A few days ago, Your Highness wanted to see me about politics. I told His Majesty that I would not care about politics of the Tang Empire, so I was unwilling to enter the palace to see you."
Li Yu frowned slightly and asked, "Then why are you willing to see me tonight?"
Chao Xiaoshu said, "Because this is no longer about politics. It concerns the safety of the Tang Empire."
Li Yu said, "Second Uncle Chao, please speak directly."
Chao Xiaoshu said, "I want to ask for two imperial edicts."
Li Yu was a little surprised and asked, "Imperial edicts? What do you want to do? "
Chao Xiaoshu said, "An imperial edict to the Fish-dragon Gang. If Chang 'an is stirred up by the Taoists of the West-Hill Divine Palace, the brothers in the gang can help His Majesty to suppress it."
Li Yu looked at him quietly, as if trying to see if there was any hidden meaning in his words. She said, "Chang 'an will not be in chaos, so I think there is no need for this imperial edict."
Chao Xiaoshu looked at her and said, "Is Your Highness really confident that Chang 'an will not be in chaos?"
Li Yu said, "There is the Chang 'an Local Government, the Bodyguard Office, and the Valiant Cavalry Battalion in the city …"
Without waiting for her to finish, Chao Xiaoshu said, "The second imperial edict I want to ask for is related to the Valiant Cavalry Battalion. I hope that His Majesty or Your Highness can grant me temporary authority to lead the Valiant Cavalry Battalion."
Li Yu's frown deepened. She did not understand his request and said, "I have already promised that Chang 'an will not be in chaos. No matter how annoying those officials loyal to the Queen are, I will not do anything to them before we solve the external problems. So what do you want the Valiant Cavalry Battalion for?"
"I want to leave with the Valiant Cavalry Battalion."
"You want to leave Chang 'an?"
"That's right."
Chao Xiaoshu looked at her and said, "You and I both know that all the military power of the Tang Empire has to be used to resist the Golden Palace and the West-Hill Divine Palace's army heading north. A part of it needs to be left to keep an eye on the Yuelun Kingdom. Now that the Northeast Border Military has been destroyed, the imperial court can no longer find any troops to resist the Yan Kingdom's army."
Li Yu shook her head and said, "There are still Prefectural Armies in the Gushan Commandery and other states."
Chao Xiaoshu said, "The prefectural army moves slowly and cannot keep up with the speed of the grassland cavalry."
Li Yu said, "The grassland cavalry from the Eastern Wilderness is not dangerous. Even if we let them enter the country, they will not affect the overall war situation."
"But the people in the east of the Tang Empire will be killed, kidnapped, and burned alive."
Chao Xiaoshu looked at her quietly and said, "I know what you are thinking. If we allow those grassland cavalrymen to invade, the more they rob, the more they kill, the more they burn, and the more they break military discipline, the slower they will act. Like greedy bears, they will eventually be too tired, and even have no desire to eat anymore. Therefore, they will not be able to threaten Chang 'an and the Tang Empire's most prosperous and prosperous vital points. "
Li Yu asked coldly, "Is this not right?"
"Losing the old, the weak, the women, the children, the ordinary people, and burning the fields, villages, and dilapidated cities can save an army. It may be able to exchange for a thousand years of peace for the Tang Empire … If you look at it this way, of course it is right. It can even be called a wise decision and a calm response."
After a moment of silence, Chao Xiaoshu said, "But the Tang Empire is not just Chang 'an. The old, the weak, the women, the children, and the ordinary farmers are also people of the Tang Empire. Those fields, villages, and dilapidated cities are also part of the Tang Empire."
Li Yu said, "So … you want to bring the Valiant Cavalry Battalion to the east?"
Chao Xiaoshu said, "Yes. If the former Emperor was still alive, he would have done so long ago."
Li Yu said, "Even if you know that the Valiant Cavalry Battalion cannot change the situation in the east?"
Chao Xiaoshu said, "At least, we have to let the people in that land know that the Tang Empire has not forgotten them."
Li Yu was silent for a long time and then said, "I will not give you the first edict."
Chao Xiaoshu said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
…
…
When Li Yu was summoning everyone in the imperial study, her brother Li Huiyuan was also talking to someone in his palace. However, the conversation did not go well.
He Mingchi glanced at the dark night and turned to look at Li Huiyuan, who was livid. He said, "Chao Xiaoshu is in the imperial study now, but I don't know what he is talking about with Your Highness."
Li Huiyuan waved his arms anxiously and scolded, "Those things will be arranged by my royal sister. Why do you care about those things? I just want to know if there is any way to contact the people from the West-Hill Divine Palace."
He Mingchi bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, even if we can contact the West-Hill Divine Palace now, it is impossible to change their mind. You have to know that the Divine Hall has already issued the edict, and the two sides have already fallen out."
Li Huiyuan was stunned when he heard that. His face became more and more ugly, and his right hand kept shaking. He wanted to take a sip of tea from the teacup on the table, but he almost dropped it.
"Think of a way quickly."
He said, "If we can't contact the West-Hill Divine Palace, then quickly find a way to contact General Xu Shi. Tell him that the West-Hill Divine Palace is ready to ambush him on the road."
He Mingchi was slightly shocked when he heard that and said, "Your Majesty … do you want this to be exposed?"
Li Huiyuan slowly raised his head and stared at him fiercely. He gritted his teeth and said coldly, "Even if the military knows that I once tried to kill the Defender-general of the State with the enemy, I will make it right!"
"I originally thought that it was just Long Qing leading the grassland cavalry to disturb the border. Who would have thought that it would become a world war! I want to protect the Tang Empire and the Defender-general. Do it immediately! "
…
…
Chao Xiaoshu left the palace.
He did not take the imperial edict, but Li Yu's handwritten letter.
Now that Li Yu was supervising the country, he had this letter and the commander of the Valiant Cavalry Battalion was his brother, so he was confident that he could take the Valiant Cavalry Battalion out of Chang 'an.
After returning to the Spring Breeze Pavilion Street, the Chao Mansion began to hold a banquet and invited a theatrical troupe.
At a time when the Tang Empire was in a precarious situation, this kind of behavior was really eye-catching.
But no matter whether it was the guests who attended the banquet, Linzi who was holding his child and crying silently, or Old Master Chao who was holding a walking stick and looking calm, no one raised any objections.
This was a farewell banquet, a farewell banquet.
…
…
Censor Song left the palace.
He first went to the Qinghe County Guild Hall according to Li Yu's instructions. He met with the descendants of the warlords of Qinghe County and had a long talk with the second son of Old Master Cui.
Then he brought the second son of Old Master Cui back to the mansion and held a banquet. He invited more than ten singers to join in the fun.
After the banquet, Censor Song was dead drunk.
The censor's wife served him lovingly and said, "Drunkenness is bad for your health. Moreover, you are the censor. I am afraid that people will attack you for doing such a thing at this time."
Censor Song opened his eyes and looked at the curtain on top of the bed. After a long silence, he laughed and said, "There are many kinds of banquets. Farewell banquets, farewell banquets, and farewell banquets. Tonight's banquet is for the palace to see. I want the palace to think that we are drinking wine to honor an old friend from our hometown."
"How can the imperial court be completely at ease with people like us from Qinghe County? Whether it is me or the second son of Old Master Cui, or even every descendant of the warlords in the Qinghe County Guild Hall, there are secret guards following us all year round. "
"So in the end, we will all die."
"Tonight's banquet is actually drinking wine to strengthen our courage."
"But for the sake of a thousand generations, even if it is the wine of death, we have to drink it all."
…
…
The night shrouded Xiao Mountain.
There was a military camp at the foot of Xiao Mountain. It was made up of more than ten military tents, but there were not many people there.
In one of the military tents, there were continuous coughs of pain.
Xu Shi was already very old. Whether it was the wrinkles on his face or his worsening lung disease, they all proved this. But he did not allow himself to fall, especially at a time like this.
He was the Defender-general of the Tang Empire and the de facto leader of the military. He was deeply trusted and favored by the emperor. He had spent most of his time in the Southern Army because the hot and humid climate in the south was good for his health.
Xiao Mountain was a few hundred miles away from the Southern Army, just a little north. The annoying lung disease relapsed again. The old general's chest was like a broken drum, causing all the guards in the camp to feel pain.
In the battle for the throne, General Xu Shi, whose words were the most powerful, had remained silent. Back then, because of his vigilance against the Academy, many people, including Li Yu and her brother, had suspected that he secretly supported the Empress. But it turned out that he did not support anyone but the emperor.
When the emperor passed away, he supported the edict of the emperor. So now he supported Li Yu and her brother. However, when the imperial edict summoning him back to the capital did not reach the Southern Army, he suddenly felt that something was strange.
He left the Southern Army with more than a hundred guards and sneaked into the forest towards Chang 'an.
They spent the night at the foot of the mountain.
Wang Jinglue once again questioned the decision of the general. Xu Shi stared at him and shouted, "When a general is away from home, he should not obey the emperor's orders. Moreover, the emperor is gone!"
Wang Jinglue recalled this sentence and always sighed with emotion. When one was old, it was easy to become like a child who liked to be angry. General Xu Shi was in a hurry to return to Chang 'an because he was worried about the state affairs. But thinking deeper, it was probably because he was in a hurry to see the emperor for the last time.
…
…
(At midnight, there will be an update. There will be a single chapter. That is the beginning of the double monthly votes. It will be the final battle for the annual monthly votes and the beginning of the war for the Tang Empire. See you then.) (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for it. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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