Li Shimin thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Erlang, you instigated Wang Bei to become your spy in the Eastern Palace. Then, did you tell him about your identity? "
"No!"
Du Qi shook his head in reply.
Du Qi knew what to do and what not to do. He said, "What I told Wang Bei was that I wanted to take revenge on the Eastern Palace. That's why I asked him to inquire about the Eastern Palace. After all, my service to Your Highness is confidential and must not be leaked. Once the news is leaked, especially to His Majesty, the impact will be enormous. For the time being, let Wang Bei think he's working for me. When the time is right, it won't be too late to tell him. "
"Alright!" Li Shimin said.
He agreed with Du Qi's approach. It was the best arrangement.
Li Shimin's eyes turned, but he looked like he wanted to say something.
When Du Qi saw this, he felt a little strange.
What had happened to Li Shimin?
Du Qi didn't take the initiative to ask. If Li Shimin wanted to say something, he would naturally say it.
After a long silence, Li Shimin said, "Erlang, speaking of which, our Duke of Qin's Residence has a conflict with the Eastern Palace. I can't wait to suppress the Eastern Palace. But I've discovered something that is extremely unfavorable to the Eastern Palace. "
Du Qi said, "Please speak, Your Highness."
Li Shimin said, "After sweeping up the chaos in Hebei Province this year, I returned with my army. There's a general under my command called Chang He, who is quite brave and skilled in battle. "
"Because Chang He had made a lot of contributions in the battle of Hebei Province. Especially after returning to the court, when it came to rewards, the Crown Prince lured Chang He with the matter of rewards. "
"At that time, Chang He didn't give Li Jiancheng an answer, saying that he needed to think about it. In the blink of an eye, Chang He told me about it. Therefore, after some consideration, this prince decided to have Chang He submit. "
Li Shimin told him about Chang He.
Du Qi laughed and said, "Your Highness, having Chang He infiltrate the Eastern Palace is an excellent arrangement. However, Chang He is a spy that you arranged. He is still secretly loyal to you, but he is already working for the Eastern Palace. Is he reliable? "
Li Shimin's expression was firm, he said, "Chang He's service to this king, he must be reliable, there can't possibly be a problem. Moreover, this prince is confident in Chang He's character. "
"A few years ago, Chang He was just a platoon leader in the army and didn't have a high position."
"At that time, there was a battle. Chang He led the charge and was besieged by enemies several times his size. He did his best to defeat his opponent, but he was also seriously injured and is on the verge of death. "
"The doctors at that time had already given up."
"Even Chang He himself gave up."
"But I didn't give up. I ordered the doctors to do their best to save him, and I even personally stood vigil for him. After an entire day and night, he managed to pull through and was finally saved."
Li Shimin said, "Henceforth, Chang He was dead set on benwang. Therefore, this Prince believes in Chang He and believes in the nature of a soldier. He will not betray this Prince. "
Du Qi said, "If that's the case, then there's no problem."
At this moment, he was a little confused.
What did Li Shimin want to say? Just talking about Chang He's matter was not enough to make him hesitate.
Li Shimin sighed and said, "Back to the main topic, on the surface, Chang He submitted to Li Jiancheng and worked for the East Palace. Therefore, Li Jiancheng asked for Chang He's merit and transferred him to Chang An, appointing him as a commander."
"Chang He is in charge of the Xuanwu Gate in the north of the Imperial City. Father also approved of this matter, so Chang He is now in charge of guarding the Xuanwu Gate. "
"After Chang He was stationed at the Xuanwu Gate, he had contact with the other generals guarding the Imperial City."
"He also heard some rumors in the Imperial City."
Li Shimin leaned forward slightly and said in a low voice, "When Chang He was chatting with the generals, he heard a secret. The Crown Prince, Li Yuanji, Zhang Jieyu, and Concubine Yin De colluded and had fun. However, until now, there is no evidence. "
After Du Qi heard this, he raised his eyebrows.
He did not expect this matter to be brought forward.
Li Shimin already knew about Li Jiancheng's brother, Concubine Yin De, and Zhang Jieyu's affair.
Du Qi was familiar with history, so he naturally knew about this matter.
Li Shimin said, "Erlang, how do you think this matter should be handled?"
Du Qi thought for a while and said, "Your Highness, this matter should not be publicized for now. If you say it now, it will affect His Majesty's face and even be considered to be slandering the Eastern Palace. "
"Unless you can let His Majesty see with his own eyes the scene of Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji, Concubine Yin De, and Zhang Jieyu's affair."
"Otherwise, you can't say it."
"Once you say it, not only will it be a scandal in the Imperial City, but it will also not benefit Your Highness at all. It will even anger His Majesty and make him angry."
Du Qi said, "Unless it is absolutely necessary, you can't say it."
Li Shimin sighed and said, "If I could have the power to let Father catch the adulterers in the Imperial City, my strength would have improved. Unfortunately, this is impossible. I have no power in the Imperial City. Right now, only Chang He remains at the Black Tortoise Gate. "
Du Qi said, "Your Highness, this matter is not urgent. Let's take it slowly."
"That's true."
Li Shimin nodded and said, "With Erlang's words, I have confidence. Now that we have Wang Bei and Chang He, no matter how you look at it, it's worth it. Although the Crown Prince is still suppressing the Duke of Qin's Residence, at least our current strength is not weak. Moreover, Li Jiancheng's suppression has lessened a lot, mainly because Father favors the Crown Prince's faction. "
Du Qi said seriously, "Your Highness, Li Jiancheng is the heir apparent. His Majesty naturally favors him, so it's not surprising. So for now, let's take it slowly. "
Li Shimin nodded.
Then, Li Shimin talked about some political matters, as well as some information about the Duke of Qin's Residence.
After he finished talking, Li Shimin said, "Erlang, will you not leave after returning to Chang 'an to pay respects to your ancestors, or will you head north after the end of the year?"
Du Qi thought for a moment and said, "After the end of the year, I reckon I'll head north, but I'm not sure about the time. After returning to Chang 'an to have an audience with His Majesty, His Majesty specially ordered that if I want to return to Chang' an, I can do so at any time. So if something happens, I can rush back to Chang 'an at any time without any scruples, and I don't have to ask for an edict alone. "
Li Shimin smiled brightly and said, "That's for the best."
Although he had Zhangsun Wuji and other strategists by his side now, Du Qi's role was irreplaceable. Therefore, Du Qi's frequent return was an excellent help to Li Shimin.
"Reporting!"
At this moment, the steward's voice came from outside the study, "Your Highness, Zhangsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling request an audience."
"Please!"
Li Shimin ordered.
Both Zhangsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling were aware of Du Qi's existence, so there was no need to avoid it.
The steward went to pass on the order, and not long after, Fang Xuanling and Zhangsun Wuji entered together. Their expressions were slightly anxious. However, when the two of them entered and saw that Du Qi was there, they were slightly surprised. However, a trace of relief also flashed across their faces.
Du Qi, this kid, was extremely smart.
With Du Qi around, especially with Du Qi being taken care of and valued by His Majesty, many things were easier to handle.
After bowing, the two of them took their seats and sat down.
Li Shimin said, "It's already so late, but you two still came together for an audience. Is there something important?"
Fang Xuanling looked at Zhangsun Wuji and motioned for him to speak.
Zhangsun Wuji did not decline and said directly, "Your Highness, something bad has happened. The general of the Duke of Qin's Residence, Zhang Qucheng, publicly declared his allegiance to the Crown Prince and worked for him. This news has just come out. "
Zhang Qucheng was a valiant general under Li Shimin's command.
Zhang Qucheng's status was not as high as Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Gong, Duan Zhixuan, Liu Hongji, and the others, but he was a mainstay in the middle of the military and was quite brave.
Now, he had submitted to the Eastern Palace.
He had become a member of the Eastern Palace.
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