Chapter 82 Choice

Sometimes people have to rely on luck. Li Shizhi met Princess Asina when he was in bad luck. It was really time for him to live a comfortable life as a slave in the princess's house.

The princess fell in love with this handsome and elegant Han prince at first sight, and obeyed him in every way, and was extremely good.

On the grassland where the environment is already harsh, Li Shizhi's life may make most Turks envious.

But with Li Shizhi's spirit, he was not satisfied with the life he spent like this, but there was nothing else to do at the moment.

Gradually, he asked about some national affairs from the princess at any time, and the princess was willing to provide him with information, even praising him for not losing his ambition.

At this time, the whereabouts of Li Shizhi had not been learned in the Tang Dynasty's west sushoujiang city south of Yinshan.Yin Ci ordered to be surrounded on all sides, but there was no result for many days. It became increasingly difficult for him to catch this person.

Seeing that he was so concerned about Li Shizhi's whereabouts, but he failed to make a contribution, the generals had to apologize when they saw Yin Ci.

Yin Ci sighed: The matter is caused by humans, and the criminal can even fly away from the border. I can't blame you.

Now that things have come, Yin Ci feels that he can no longer delay and has to report to Xue Chongxun as soon as possible.

The matter was not done well, so he blamed himself many times in a secret letter, claiming that he had been entrusted by the King of Jin, etc.

Then he got the pass and sent a letter of seal and rushed back to Chang'an with his secret letter.

Xue Chongxun has long forgotten Li Shizhi, and someone has only remembered him when someone mentioned him.

In fact, Li Shizhi's strength was difficult to pose any threat to him, but he was not very relieved at the time and asked Yin Ci to eliminate future troubles.

In Xue Chongxun's philosophy, if you have a chance, it is best to kill any potential enemy in the cradle. If you have a chance, you will be ruthless. What if you don't cause trouble after you become strong?

After receiving Yin Ci's secret letter, he thought a little bit: Although this matter is not done very well and the person has run away is still unknown; but since Li Shizhi killed someone, it is very easy to commit the crime of death on him. Even if a shameful person has great skills, how can he use it?

Could it be that a bandit was to launch a rebellion?

Xue Chongxun smiled. People like Li Shizhi were afraid that they would be rude to be heroes.

So he immediately picked up his pen to comfort Yin Ci, which was unexpectedly beyond expectations. Since Li Shizhi was afraid of the crime, he decided to make a case and asked the emperor to remove his identity as a royal family and sooner or later he was arrested.

After replying to Yin Ci's letter, Xue Chongxun quickly threw this matter out of his mind.

What he cares most about now is not Li Shizhi, who is just a potential hidden danger, but the most important thing at the moment: the coalition forces to attack the Turks.

There are two goals in this matter. In addition to eliminating an external troubles from the empire to revenge the attack on the Huaqing Palace, the goal of Su Jin proposed to be the leader.

The latter is obviously a very meaningful step in his development reaching its peak.

The leaders of various countries are similar to the Tiankhan Alliance during the reign of Emperor Taizong, and the influence is extraordinary.

Because of the slow traffic in this era, to assemble coalition forces before the war, we need to prepare in advance, and contacting the leaders of all countries and ethnic groups has been done in progress.

This was not the first time that the Tang Dynasty used the nomadic troops to fight against foreign wars, so this incident did not arouse people's doubts in the court and the court. Of course, no one would have thought that Xue Chongxun would ambitiously plan to make the leaders of various countries elect him as the leader of the alliance.

But he realized that this matter was not that simple, and there were many complicated problems.He couldn't discuss it with someone else, he could only think about it himself, and he often felt a little headache.

Even the initiator Su Jin and Xue Chongxun could not talk to him in detail.

When Su Jin made this suggestion, Xue Chongxun was awakened, but he did not agree or continue to discuss it.

If there is a mistake but cannot implement the plan, you can use Su Jin as a scapegoat and push it cleanly.

Therefore, Su Jin could not participate in this plan. If this matter was manipulated, it would not be possible to rely on the staff. In the early stage, Xue Chongxun could only make the arrangement alone, so that he could move forward and retreat freely.

……

When you need to ponder and weigh the trade-offs, Xue Chongxun’s favorite place is the quiet study courtyard by Tingyu Lake.

Last time, I told Du Xian that the villa was very quiet, but in fact he just said casually according to the situation. The inner palace was the one who could really give him peace.

Compared with the villa, it is obvious that the royal palace is more secure and safer, and the sense of security is something that Xue Chongxun is obsessed with.

There was a pool outside the back door of the study, with several cherry trees planted around it. At this time, the fruits were ripe. Xue Chongxun sat by the pool for a while, but saw that the fruits on the tree were crystal red and very cute, so he couldn't help but stand up and take a glass bowl, then picked some cherries and put them in the bowl to wash.

He ate one first, and when he turned around, he saw Sanniang walking around the front door, he called out, pointed to the bowl in his hand and asked: Do you want to taste it?

Sanniang shook her head, and Xue Chongxun could taste it himself. At this time, a moist and cool breeze blew from the treetops, which brought indescribable comfort on a hot afternoon. There was only the occasional bird singing around him, and his mood seemed to calm down.

At this time, he was thinking that no matter how many things a person has in his life, there is only one thing he can hold in his hand, just like a tree full of cherries, he only eats half a bowl.

Is it necessary to realize the ambition?

He had thought about this question before, and the answer was necessary. Since he did not become loyal ministers and follow the people at the beginning, it would be a path of no return.

But now I find it too risky, so I occasionally question it; or maybe it shouldn't be considered such a problem in such a comfortable and peaceful environment, so peace makes people addicted to Ah.

Then there is Princess Taiping, the person who has the greatest influence and the most important thing to him.

Xue Chongxun thought briefly, of course, he believed that the fact that the leader had to be hidden from her was true, because once she learned about it in advance, Princess Taiping's knowledge would probably immediately detect his ambitions.

How would she react?

Xue Chongxun is simply unsure of this.

He is now in a mood like a child doing something wrong and then lying to his parents.

Gradually, he no longer knew what the cherries put in his mouth felt.

If she must seize this opportunity to achieve her goal and try to hide it from Princess Taiping in advance in order to succeed, then what would she feel when she suddenly learns the whole cause and effect?

It is related to the country and the royal family is full of cruel struggles. Even if the mother and son reach that point, the trust will definitely be gone.

Once you lose the trust you used to, the contradiction between power will be exposed sharply. It is inevitable that you must decide the outcome. The situation is just like Princess Taiping and Li Longji. In fact, Li Longji was loved by Princess Taiping when he was a child.

Maybe Xue Chongxun will win if he is prepared, but he is sure that he won't be happy even if he wins; what if he loses...

There may be even worse results. This world should not have been inherited by him, Xue Chongxun or a woman. Once their family's strength weakens, the world should be whose own or God will do so.

So Xue Chongxun thought about it again and told Princess Taiping before the layout.

The problem here is: if she disagrees (the possibility is relatively high), it will not only lose a rare opportunity in vain, but also cause negative effects. It is better to give up completely and not even mention it.

Then Xue Chongxun's thinking returned to the origin of whether it was necessary to do this, and then he thought that this was something that had been considered before and could come to an end...

It's like a circle, and it's like a problem program that enters a dead loop thinking.

He felt that there was something wrong with his logic, and there must be something wrong in the middle.

He got up and walked to the edge of the pool, and poured a few handfuls of cold water on his face. A few drops of water soaked from his lips into his mouth. The sweet water quality of the pool water was very good.

Sitting on the wooden board next to the door again, Xue Chongxun looked at the gently shaking water surface and became stunned again.

After telling Princess Taiping, there are only two possibilities, either she fully supports it or opposes it and becomes wary.

Xue Chongxun felt that the latter was a little more likely. Will Princess Taiping try to stop him from gaining military power to attack the Turks?

However, regardless of whether there is military power or not, all the generals of the Shence Army stationed in the south of Chang'an City are his direct descendants, and this group of people cannot control the nominal authority; in addition, there are ministers in the court who tend toward Xue Chongxun.

In this case, he would not face a situation where he was completely controlled by Princess Taiping.

In fact, since Princess Taiping recovered from illness and returned to power, Xue Chongxun has formed the strength to compete with her.

In short, it's all a stumble, but the advantage of a stumble beforehand is that trust may still be retained. Princess Taiping should have thought that Xue Chongxun can completely develop against her behind the scenes; the disadvantage is that the chances of winning are smaller, and after quietly achieving the goal of the leader, it will be more beneficial to the situation.

What is the most important thing to you?Xue Chongxun didn't even know himself.

If predecessors such as Emperor Qin Shihuang and Emperor Gaozu of Han encountered the same choice, they would definitely have nothing to hesitate.

Thinking of this, Xue Chongxun realized that he should not have the temperament of accomplishing great things and winning the world.

Those who win the world are called emperors. Perhaps they are all chosen by God. A person like Xue Chongxun, who has proved that history should not cause trouble, will expose the characteristics of a non-true dragon emperor at critical moments.

He looked up at the sky and suddenly realized that the sun had disappeared long ago, and a few faint stars had appeared in the sky, and the night slowly fell.

Those few stars made Xue Chongxun feel inexplicably lonely. Who else can he truly trust in this life if even his biological mother wants to betray him?

Princess Taiping is not only an ordinary relative in Xue Chongxun's heart, but he really has a kind of dependence on her from the bottom of his heart.

At this moment, a burst of speech brought Xue Chongxun back to reality.

Only Li Yan'er's voice could be heard: Husband hasn't eaten yet?

Sanniang said in her voice: My husband is thinking about things, I dare not disturb you at will.

Li Yan'er's voice said: What can make people hungry?In the afternoon, I saw him coming here and was waiting for him to have supper together. I asked someone to bring it to the study room and think about it after eating.

Li Yan'er is the official concubine, and her words are quite useful, so Sanniang obediently replied: Yes.

After a while, the maids' footsteps came over. They put the food on the table. Li Yan'er walked in and sat next to Xue Chongxun, and asked with a smile: What are you thinking about? Let's have a meal first.

OK.

Xue Chongxun responded casually and stood up, then stretched out her hand to Li Yan'er. She happily put her little hand into Xue Chongxun's palm and asked him to pull herself up.

Xue Chongxun glanced at Sanniang and said: It’s nothing wrong today. You can go to have dinner and have a rest early. Tomorrow morning, follow me to the palace.

Sanniang responded expressionlessly and left, and it was difficult for her expression to change. Sometimes Xue Chongxun thought she might not have any other expressions.

The meal was ready, and the couple sat down to have a meal together.

Li Yan'er, who is usually very fond of talking, also became silent. Her habit seems to be because she is not very decent when she eats. Anyway, people from good backgrounds have many rules.

Xue Chongxun took the initiative to speak: I'll ask you something. If you know what you do wrong, your mother will be angry. Will you tell her?

Li Yan'er looked back at the door, stretched out her tongue and whispered: She wants to scold her, of course she won't say anything.

Xue Chongxun smiled and said: What if she knew sooner or later?

This... Li Yan'er thought about it and said, "It's better to admit her mistake earlier, otherwise she will be even more angry."

Xue Chongxun smiled faintly and refused to say anything.After a while of silence, he asked something about Xue Xia again, and the two of them finished their supper while talking.

……

Early the next morning, Xue Chongxun took the guards to Daming Palace according to the schedule.

When I passed by Danfeng Street, the popularity on the street was already very strong, and the middle of the avenue was full of officials who went to pay the price.

Of course, it is not only them who get up early and go to bed late, but also those peddlers and pawns in the city, who can only let the bureaucrats go on their way.

Most of the shops on the street have lights on and started business early.

Xue Chongxun happened to meet the Secretariat Zhang halfway through the road and said that today is not the day to go to court, but the ministers have to go to their respective offices to work.

Zhang said he was holding a paper bag in his hand. After meeting him, he handed the paper bag to the servant next to him with a little embarrassed expression, and greeted him with a smile: The pastry cake next to the West City has not changed. I just love that taste and I haven't been tired of it for several years.King Jin went to the palace to meet His Highness Taiping?

Because there is no need to congratulate me today, Xue Chongxun does not go to any official office to do business, so he obviously saw him when he entered the palace.

He nodded, called a guard to lead the horse over, and rode his horse to walk with Zhang Shuo.

If this is the case with other dynasties, the vassal kings and court officials will have to be in trouble.

However, the current emperor naturally does not have to worry about being too close to the vassal kings and ministers, so everyone does not need to avoid suspicion.

Zhang Shuo mentioned the important matter in a low voice: The loyalty of the Xianbei Murong clan is commendable, we have sent envoys to go there; tribes in Shuofang and other states can also be used; the most important thing is to wait for the Anton Protector to contact the nine surnames of Tiele, which is the most useful tribe.

Zhang said that he obviously did not expect Xue Chongxun to propose the significance of the coalition forces. Now he contacted tribes that could actually send troops to help the Tang Dynasty fight.

In fact, in Xue Chongxun's heart, he didn't care about how many people the kingdoms or tribes sent to play a big role, he just cared about their attitude.

They talked a few times, and when they approached Danfeng Gate, more people came and went, and they talked about other anecdotes and interesting things, and entered the palace gate together.

Afterwards, Zhang said he would go to the Political Affairs Hall, Xue Chongxun went to the Chengxiang Hall, and the two of them bowed to each other and said goodbye.

The eunuch Yu Liben came out of Chengxiang Palace to receive Xue Chongxun. Yu Liben said when he met: Your Highness will not see the court officials today. He originally planned to practice calmly. If you report to the prince, you will let go of your cultivation.

Since Princess Taiping redeemed from Yuqing, she has become obsessed with practicing Taoism. Just like an atheist who suddenly witnessed miracles, he believes very much that there are gods in the world, and no one else can change anything.

Xue Chongxun never advised her. Taoism was originally the national religion of Li Tang, so he didn't need to talk much.

So he just said: I haven't seen my mother for two days, so I happened to come and walk around with nothing.

Yu Liben took Xue Chongxun to the overpass. His Highness was in the Star Tower, and it was inconvenient for the family to enter on such a day. Please.

Xue Chongxun walked towards the high-level Xinglou. The place was not originally called Xinglou, but just a palace. Because it was located at a high position, Princess Taiping changed its name to Xinglou after she believed in the channel, which means that the immortal family approached the heaven.

The layout inside is also very different from other palaces, with few gorgeous decorations. There are gossip flags hanging at the door and the elixir cauldrons are scattered in green smoke, making them look even more plain and simple, quite like the Sanqing Hall.

However, the Sanqing Palace is far away from the political center, and Princess Taiping will not go there to practice Taoism. She may have a different understanding of Taoism. She seeks to become an immortal and is free and unsightly, but has not seen through the prosperity of the world.

It is indeed unhappy to be isolated from the world all day long and unable to give orders.

After entering the Star Tower, Princess Taiping was sitting upright on the soft collapse in the north, and Yuqing stood beside her with a whisk in her hand.

Both of them were wearing Taoist robes, Princess Taiping wore a simple and light color, while Yuqing had a green robes.

I saw Yuqing's figure was thin and calm, and she looked more like a Taoist practitioner; on the other hand, Princess Taiping had a plump figure, and even without makeup, she felt gorgeous, especially her plump breasts, because she really supported her clothes and her summer clothes were light and thin, and even the outline of her nipples was faintly revealed. She did not have the temperament of a pure and slight desire, and whether she was in posture, words and actions, she showed a graceful and noble temperament and was filled with pressure.

Xue Chongxun walked forward and bowed to the courtesy and said, "My son, please pay homage to your mother."

Just let it go.Are you here to have some serious business today?Princess Taiping asked.

Xue Chongxun said: There is nothing serious about you, I just miss my mother.

Princess Taiping chuckled and said: Then you might as well try practicing with me and let Yuqing teach you.

My son... Xue Chongxun said in a depressed manner that he had no interest in Taoism.

Yuqing, bring him a Qi-Region Pill.Princess Taiping completely ignored Xue Chongxun's polite rejection. She was used to doing things only according to her own wishes, and I'm afraid no one around dared to disobey.

After a while, Yuqing came over with a wooden box containing a elixir that looked like a cherry but was larger than a cherry.

Xue Chongxun's face looked ugly and he thought to himself: There should be heavy metals with chronic poison in it. Do I want to eat it?