Upon hearing Du Qi's words, Li Shimin turned to the nearby Hou Junji, a grave look in his eyes. This time, under Du Qi's command, Hou Junji had not been mistreated, beaten, or even embezzled. Alas, Hou Junji was currently under immense pressure.
This was not the first time he had been captured by Du Qi, nor was it the first time he had been defeated by Du Qi. This was the second time he had been captured.
For a general to be defeated and captured twice by the same enemy was a stain that could never be washed away for the rest of his life. As a result, Hou Junji was unable to eat or sleep, and in a few short moments, he had lost ten-some jin of weight. He was much thinner, and his cheekbones were even more prominent.
There was even a hint of white at his temples, making him appear rather old.
Li Shimin was a nostalgic person.
Even though he was inwardly furious at Hou Junji's incompetence, at Hou Junji's inability to accomplish anything, he was still capable of ruining things. But at this moment, when he saw the thin divinity in thin clothes, the anger in Li Shimin's heart gradually dissipated. In the end, only a sigh was left.
Du Qi smiled at Li Shimin's melancholy expression. "Your Majesty, Hou Junji has been rather dispirited these days, unable to eat or sleep well. After all, he's worried that you'll give up on him now that he's been captured. How will you deal with Hou Junji? "
Li Shimin frowned.
Du Qi was clearly digging a hole for him to make things difficult for him. And when he saw that smirk on Du Qi's face, Li Shimin knew that Du Qi was up to no good. But Li Shimin was not a soft-hearted person. "Du Qi, We will save Hou Junji. But We did not make concessions to save Hou Junji, but through this battle, We saved Hou Junji. In this battle, We will defeat your army. You should know that a just cause enjoys abundant support, and an unjust cause finds little support. You are so arrogant and despotic that your defeat is certain. "
Du Qi shook his head. "Your Majesty, aren't you going against your conscience by saying these words? Why do you have to find a reason to make yourself seem like the righteous party? If you want to start a war, just say it. There's no point in doing all these moral things. As I said before, if Hou Junji hadn't arranged for someone to ambush me, I wouldn't have come to this. From the beginning to the end, I've never targeted the Tang dynasty. On the contrary, the Tang dynasty regards me as a thorn in their flesh. "
Li Shimin said, "Du Qi, debate is actually meaningless. You've always been good at using your mouth to win. However, this battle will not be decided by words. In the end, it will be decided by strength. "
Du Qi said, "It seems that Your Majesty doesn't intend to reason with me if you can't win with reason. "Your Majesty, have you ever thought that after you humiliate me like this, when I become strong enough, I will launch a counterattack against the Tang dynasty?" I do have feelings for the Tang dynasty, because it's the place where I was born and grew up. It's also the place where my parents yearn for day and night. "
"Moreover, it's also the root of countless people who left the Tang dynasty. Moreover, there are too many people in the Tang dynasty that I care about. Therefore, I don't want to start a war with the Tang dynasty, and I don't want to attack the Tang dynasty. "
"Even so, there's a limit to my patience."
Du Qi said, "The Tang dynasty has targeted me time and time again, and they even intend to destroy the Xia Dynasty. Tell me, how can this make me feel a sense of belonging? How can this make me not hate the Tang dynasty? "
Hearing this, Li Shimin's heart was slightly touched. However, this slight touch caused a change in the next moment. His heart suddenly became firm. He would not be bewitched by Du Qi, nor would he be influenced by Du Qi.
This battle was imperative.
Li Shimin took a deep breath and continued, "Du Qi, I've already said that words are useless. To tell you the truth, Du Qi, when the Xia Dynasty's strength is really tyrannical, even if you don't do anything, the people below will push you forward. You don't want to be the enemy of the Tang dynasty, but countless people want to be the enemy of the Tang dynasty. People in a high position can't help themselves. A lot of your words are actually meaningless. These words are only used to deceive ignorant people. "
Du Qi said, "Your Majesty, I can't guarantee anything. What I can guarantee is that as long as the Tang dynasty doesn't target me, the Xia Dynasty's troops won't target the Tang dynasty. Because there are too many countries all the way to the west. I can expand all the way to the west. Of course, Your Majesty won't believe it, so it's meaningless. "
After a pause, Du Qi poured another cup of wine and said, "Your Majesty, I'll toast you again. Next, you and I will do our best to defeat each other. "
Li Shimin said, "Please!"
As he spoke, Li Shimin raised his wine cup and drained it in one gulp.
Du Qi threw away the wine cup, got up, walked over to Hou Junji, and chuckled. "Hou Junji, did you see His Majesty's reaction? You're just an abandoned pawn, not worth mentioning.
"Tell me, should I kill you or not?"
Killing intent appeared in Du Qi's eyes.
At this point, Hou Junji had no value, because the battle between the two sides was imperative. Even if peace talks were to take place after the battle, it would be on the basis that one side was willing to negotiate and the other side was powerless to resist.
Li Shimin was also walking back, but he had only taken a few steps when he clearly heard Du Qi's words. He turned around and coldly stared at Du Qi. "Erlang, if you dare to harm Hou Junji, We will never let you off."
Du Qi turned around and said, "Your Majesty has already brought soldiers to kill me, and we will never rest until one of us is dead. So what need is there to say such vicious words? Your Majesty is not willing to withdraw your soldiers, so Hou Junji will only have one end: death! "
Li Shimin froze.
A hint of solemnity appeared on his face.
At this moment, Hou Junji loudly called out, "Your Majesty, this subject can die without regrets. This subject has been defeated twice and captured twice, losing all face for Your Majesty and the Tang dynasty. Now, this subject would rather die than make things difficult for Your Majesty. Your Majesty, please do not grieve over this subject's death. This subject is willing to die. "
Hou Junji had already gotten over it. He understood Li Shimin's personality and knew that he would not ignore the overall situation. Hou Junji knew that he was going to die, so he asked for death. "This subject asks Your Majesty to take care of my family and ensure their safety."
Li Shimin's heart suddenly softened at these words. He wanted to agree to Du Qi's conditions in exchange for Hou Junji's life, but he quickly suppressed this thought. He was the Emperor of the Tang dynasty, and he had to prioritize the interests of the Tang dynasty. He could not make concessions for Hou Junji.
Li Shimin took a deep breath and said, "Hou Junji, We will ensure that your family will not have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of their lives."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Hou Junji loudly called out.
A smile appeared on Hou Junji's face. He turned to Du Qi and said, "Du Qi, come! Kill me! Even if I die, what do I have to fear? If you kill me now, His Majesty will avenge me one day. "
He was afraid of death!
He didn't want to die!
But at this point, he had no other choice.
Du Qi clicked his tongue and said, "What a good relationship between ruler and subject, truly touching! Alas, this relationship between ruler and subject is mixed with too many benefits. For the sake of the Tang dynasty, His Majesty would rather sacrifice Hou Junji than make concessions. For the sake of his family, Hou Junji would rather die. Sigh, it's really touching. "
"If I don't even agree to this matter, won't this king be too heartless? Your Majesty, I'll fulfill your wish with Hou Junji … "
Du Qi turned and walked past Hou Junji. "Come, kill Hou Junji."
With this order, the soldiers around Hou Junji swiftly moved into action.
They swung their sabers.
Slash! The saber slashed across Hou Junji's neck, and then Hou Junji's neck flew into the air and plopped to the ground.
His thin body fell to the ground.
Li Shimin clenched his fists as he watched Hou Junji die, and then he turned to Du Qi's departing figure and gnashed his teeth. "Du Qi, We will definitely repay this debt of blood for killing my beloved general today."
Du Qi paused for a moment before saying, "I await Your Majesty's arrival."
After saying that, Du Qi returned to the army without looking back.
Du Qi did not regret killing Hou Junji in the slightest.
In truth, from the start, Du Qi had no intention of killing Hou Junji. He had only been prepared to have a good battle with Li Shimin in Guazhou City, and in the end, both sides had reached a truce. Du Qi had not expected Li Shimin to directly attack Xia Xia and act as if he wanted to kill Du Qi. Under this premise, Du Qi naturally returned the favor.
He, Du Qi, did not fear threats.
He, Du Qi, was even less afraid of Li Shimin.
If Li Shimin wanted to fight, he would accompany him to the end.
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