Li Shimin took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "It's been nearly 20 years since the establishment of the Tang dynasty. In these 20 years, the Tang dynasty rose and prospered, and then met Du Qi, so we had to move the capital from Chang 'an. The last time we moved the capital from Chang 'an, countless officials evacuated and finally followed me to Jiangdu. "
"At that time, the Tang dynasty could still occupy half of the country and establish a foothold. But now, Du Qi broke into Jiangdu and defeated our forces. It's quite difficult to stop Du Qi now. "
"Our only remaining advantage is gone."
"The water route can't stop Du Qi."
"So, the only arrangement I can consider is to continue south, evacuate to the south of Lingnan, and retreat to the mountains of Lingnan. Push into the mountains, Du Qi's army can't continue to attack. After all, in the Lingnan area, there is miasma on the one hand, and there are deep mountains and forests on the other. "
"This can stop Du Qi's army."
Li Shimin spoke frankly and with assurance, he continued, "But going south like this, it is destined that the road will not be easy. Even going south like this is destined to lead a hard life. When we were in Jiangdu, because of the support of many businessmen and the prosperity of Jiangnan, we didn't lack money or food, and our life was relatively good. "
At this moment, Li Shimin's voice was very low.
It was hoarse and tired.
During this period of time, or even in the recent years, Li Shimin's spirit was actually very tense, and his life was not easy. Especially since Zhangsun Wugou's death, Li Shimin seemed to have lost someone to rely on, and his heart was even more lost.
All his fatigue was revealed in his words.
It was clearly reflected.
When these officials heard Li Shimin's words, they were a little confused. Even many soldiers still didn't understand when they heard it. Because they didn't know what Li Shimin meant.
Was he going to reminisce?
Or did he want to give everyone a boost?
No one knew.
Those who knew Li Shimin's thoughts were Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, and Wei Shuyu. When Fang Xuanling went to inform him, she didn't say much, so no one knew, and they all looked puzzled.
Li Shimin paused for a moment, and then continued, "My days in Jiangnan were quite good. In the following days, we will be heading south to Lingnan. That is a barren land, deep in the mountains and forests. "
"It doesn't have the blue waves and clear waters of Jiangnan, nor the smoke of Jiangnan, nor the picturesque scenery and prosperity of Jiangnan. In Lingnan, we are destined to live a hard life. Perhaps what comes next will be a precarious situation. Perhaps what comes next will be fighting with wild beasts. Perhaps what comes next will be days of being besieged everywhere. "
"This kind of life is not something that can be explained in a few words. Without a certain amount of determination, without a certain amount of fighting spirit, it is impossible to persevere. If you don't have enough willpower, you won't be able to persevere. "
"Therefore, the people who will follow me to the south must have firm minds. I know that along the way, some people have already left quietly. We knew about this, but we didn't care about it. It's impossible to keep these people here. Even if you can keep them here, you won't be able to keep their hearts. "
"Since that's the case, let's just allow them to leave."
In fact, if Wei Shuyu did not report this matter, Li Shimin really did not pay attention to it.
However, in front of all the soldiers, he changed his words. He said that he had already found out about this matter, but he did not care about it. However, he did not stop it. This was intentional.
Following Li Shimin's words, the originally silent crowd gradually began to talk.
There were sounds of discussion.
Many people were talking.
Some of the smarter ones had already guessed what Li Shimin was going to say. After all, Li Shimin had laid out so much. He talked about the matter of many people leaving without permission. Obviously, it was related to this matter.
Li Shimin did not stop the soldiers, officials, and officials' families from discussing. His expression was still solemn.
He seemed to be immersed in his own emotions, so he continued, "At this time, I don't want people to continue to secretly leave. Therefore, I have gathered all of you here. Those of you who are willing to leave can leave. I won't stop you. Those of you who are unwilling to leave can stay. "
"In short, I won't stop you if you want to leave, and I won't hold you responsible."
Li Shimin said, "However, during the march, if there are any people who want to leave without permission and affect the morale of the army, I will not let them off easily. Therefore, at this time, whether it is officials or soldiers, if you want to leave, feel free to leave. "
Whoosh!
The scene was in an uproar.
Each of the officials and soldiers had a look of surprise on their faces. Because no one expected that Li Shimin would allow them to leave at this time. He was actually so generous.
Even the generals and soldiers were astonished.
One must know that the most important thing for Li Shimin now was soldiers. With the army, there would be combat power. But now, Li Shimin was letting people leave freely. It was equivalent to damaging his own military strength. Especially officials, to Li Shimin, were the foundation of the future. Once many officials left, many things would be difficult to arrange. This matter was also quite tricky.
But Li Shimin let them leave.
This was a big move.
It was also a big move.
For a time, there were endless discussions.
Even so, for the time being, no one stood out to leave. Because everyone was watching. Li Shimin said so, but in the hearts of many people, there were still doubts. Therefore, there were discussions and hesitations, but for the time being, no one left.
"Your Majesty, I have failed you. I have failed you, Your Majesty! But my family of fifteen people, old and young, all need me to support them. Once I follow you, my family will become a burden, and I will be distracted. I have failed you, Your Majesty. Please forgive me. "
After a long while, someone stood out.
The person who stood out was called Liu Qingsong. He was the assistant minister of the Ministry of Works. It was not a prominent official position. After all, although the rank was high, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Works was not an official position with real power. However, Liu Qingsong still stood out to speak for himself.
At this moment, Liu Qingsong was prostrating himself on the ground. He wept bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, I'm guilty. I've failed Your Majesty's trust. I've failed Your Majesty's trust. I have failed you, Your Majesty! "
As Liu Qingsong stood out, other people also stood out.
"Your Majesty, I have failed you! I have failed you, Your Majesty. "
"But there are thirty people in my family. Now that my family is with you, it will also be a burden to Your Majesty! Therefore, I can no longer be a burden to Your Majesty. "
"Your Majesty, I have a large family too. There are more than ten people in my family. If I follow Your Majesty to the south and enter Lingnan, there will be so many people every day. We will use up a lot of food. I also request to leave. "
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I cannot go south."
…
The officials kept pleading.
The number of people who knelt suddenly increased. At a glance, there were at least a dozen important officials in the imperial court. These people usually received salaries from the imperial court and received the support of the imperial court. Now, none of them were willing to stay. They all chose to leave.
They did not leave because Li Shimin did not give the order. After all, it was not easy for them to leave with large families. Now that they received Li Shimin's order, no one was willing to stay. Those who were hesitant left one after another.
Although Xue Wanche had failed repeatedly, his loyalty to Li Shimin was extremely firm. Especially when he thought of his elder brother dying at the hands of Du Qi, he was even more furious. "Bastards, a bunch of bastards! A group of people like you is really abominable! His Majesty thinks so highly of you that even your families have meat to eat every meal. But now, you want to leave. Are you worthy of His Majesty's high regard? "
His eyes were extremely fierce.
He was extremely angry.
It was as if he was going to devour them and kill them all who betrayed the Tang dynasty.
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