"What? You're going to the West?" Princess Changle was shocked.
"That's right. The Firearms Supervisor will bring the new firearms with him. General Li Jing personally appointed him, and His Majesty has agreed," Meton said proudly.
Princess Changle said angrily, "Why are you still so proud at this time? This is war. You don't even know martial arts. How can you go to the battlefield? No, I'm going to plead with His Majesty."
After Princess Changle finished speaking, she quickly got up and went to Taiji Palace. Meton quickly grabbed her and stopped her.
Before Meton could say anything, he suddenly heard a sudden cough. A sharp gaze stared at his hand. He saw a middle-aged palace maid staring at their hands unkindly.
Modun thickened his face and did not let go. However, Princess Changle was unable to maintain her composure. Her face flushed red, she struggled free of Modun's grasp. She no longer had any intention of immediately going to Li Shimin to plead for leniency. Instead, she waved her hand and said, "Liu E, withdraw for now!"
The middle-aged palace maid suddenly looked embarrassed. "Princess, I …"
"In the afternoon. I have something to talk to Meton," Princess Changle said firmly.
"Then, Princess, I'll wait outside …" Liu E had no choice but to leave. Before she left, she gave Meton a warning.
Meton explained, "I won't personally fight in the West this time. I'll just command the Firearms Supervisor to use the gunpowder. Naturally, there won't be any danger."
Meton was not telling the truth. Although he would not charge at the front, he was not without threat. Once the power of the gunpowder was revealed, he would definitely become the target of the enemy's attacks.
"Besides, General Li is personally leading the army this time. How can he not defeat the Tuyuhun? All the generals of the Tang dynasty are squeezing their heads to fight for military merits. What a great honor it is to be appointed by General Li!" Meton said.
Princess Changle naturally knew that it was Li Jing who was leading the army. Li Jing's ability was recognized by the entire Tang dynasty. Li Shimin appointed Li Jing as a general to complete the battle. He wanted to eliminate the Tuyuhun in one fell swoop and intimidate the surrounding countries.
After all, the Tuyuhun were all cavalry. They came and went like the wind. If the battle dragged on for too long, it would be disadvantageous to the Tang dynasty.
"Besides, I boasted in front of His Majesty that I would gather the betrothal gifts within a year. Of course, it's impossible to rely on the salary of the Firearms Supervisor alone. This expedition to the west is the best time," Meton said with a smile.
Princess Changle's face suddenly reddened. She looked at Meton angrily and said, "It's all your fault for boasting. With so much money, others would think that it's a marriage transaction."
Meton smiled bitterly and said, "If I don't do something, do you think His Majesty will agree so easily? Besides, His Majesty is not testing the money, but my determination. Otherwise, His Majesty will not be moved by the marriage of a princess of the Tang dynasty, no matter how much money there is."
Hearing Wei Sian's words, Princess Changle was extremely moved. In her heart, she hated Wei Sian to no end. If it were not for Wei Sian's meddling, how could the two of them be in such a difficult situation?
"But I'm afraid you'll be gone for at least half a year," Princess Changle said reluctantly.
The two had just confirmed their relationship and were in the honeymoon period. Being separated for so long, they were naturally reluctant to part.
"Don't worry, I've already made preparations. I've arranged for Brother Mo Jiazi to be on the brick road from Chang 'an to Lanzhou. I'll write to you on time every five days," Merton said.
The two immediately fell into sweet memories. The memory of them secretly writing letters to each other came to their minds.
"Princess, His Majesty wants to see Merton." Suddenly, Liu E's voice outside the door broke the ambiguous atmosphere between the two.
Meton's face was full of resentment. He had no choice but to get up. As soon as he left the hall, he saw Pande waiting with a smile.
"Merton, let's go. His Majesty has been waiting for a long time," Pande said.
Hearing this, Modun immediately smiled bitterly. Originally, he had come today to bid farewell to Princess Changle. He had not planned to meet with Li Shimin. How could he have imagined that Li Shimin would specifically summon him?
"Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch." Meton waved at Princess Changle, who had sent him off, and strode toward Taiji Palace.
In Taiji Palace.
Li Shimin had his back to the door. There was a large map in front of him. He did not even notice Meton's arrival.
"Your Majesty, Merton has been brought here," Pande said softly.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" Meton bowed.
Li Shimin did not turn around. Instead, he waved his hand, and Pande immediately bowed and left. As he left, he closed the door behind him. In an instant, only Meton and Li Shimin were left in the hall. The two of them immediately fell silent.
"Love with Impartiality, Non-Aggression, Honor the Virtuous, Honor the Same, Heaven's Will, Bright Ghosts, Not Life, Not Joy, Frugality, Frugality, Frugality." The light coming in through the window elongated Li Shimin's shadow. Li Shimin's faint voice resounded through the room.
Meton proudly said, "Your Majesty, please remember. These are the ten basic principles of the School of Mohism."
Li Shimin suddenly turned around and stared at Merton. "Since these are the principles of the School of Mohism, We have a question for the School of Mohism to answer."
"Your Majesty, please speak clearly!" Meton immediately became serious.
Li Shimin said, "We want to ask about the will of heaven!"
"The will of heaven?" Meton immediately frowned. He had originally thought that Li Shimin had summoned him to discuss the Western Expedition. He had not expected Li Shimin to specifically mention the principles of the School of Mohism.
The will of heaven was the core principle of the School of Mohism. It was the law of the world. "I have the will of heaven. For example, the Lun people have their own rules, and the craftsmen have their own rules. The Lun craftsmen follow their own rules to survey the world. "
However, it was not just the School of Mohism that had the will of heaven. The Confucians also advocated the will of heaven. They believed that the world had its own will, and when the people were in dire straits, the heavens would send a warning.
Meton finally understood Li Shimin's meaning. He immediately began to consider how to respond.
"Throughout the ages, the Hundred Schools of Thought believed that natural disasters were the warnings of the heavens. But now, your School of Mohism has dispelled this ancient principle. Floods, droughts, and locusts can all be overcome. Not long ago, you personally dispelled the lie of the Heavenly Dog eating the sun, "Li Shimin said word by word.
Although the solar eclipse at the beginning of the fifth month had not been proven, Meton had pointed out various flaws in the solar eclipse. This was enough for Li Shimin to firmly believe that the solar eclipse was an astronomical phenomenon and not a warning from the heavens.
"This subject is only making a bold guess." Meton swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said cautiously.
Li Shimin's face was completely shrouded in shadow. Only his pair of eyes were frighteningly bright. He said, "Then I'll let you make a bold guess. You said that the earth dragon turning over is also a warning from the heavens?"
"The earth dragon turning over is an earthquake!" Meton said in shock.
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