(I slept early yesterday and didn’t know the specific number of monthly tickets for November. If anyone saw it, I left a message in the book review area to tell me. Thank you echo1990.mylove1984. This year, Xiao Shiba. My sunshine, sea, river, marijuana, and Canglian for support. Thank you!)

Chapter 656 Wan Yulou’s Troubles

Li Yuan drove all his servants out of the imperial study room, including the eunuch chief eunuch Gao Liansheng. He sat alone in the imperial study room without going out all night, and did not even light a candle. In the rich darkness, the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty didn't know what he thought, and he looked motionless like a stone statue without vitality.

Early the next morning, the court officials, Pei Ji, the Secretary of the Central Committee, Liu Zhenghui, the Secretary of the Shangshu Xiao Yu, the Secretary of the Left Master, Yu Shinan, the Duke of Tan, Zhang Gongjin, the Duke of Kui, Liu Hongji, the Duke of Shen, the Minister of War, Duke of Shen, Duke of Justice, Duke of Justice Dugu Xue and other important officials stood at the door of the imperial study room waiting for His Majesty to pass on the meeting. The Chief Eunuch Gao Liansheng stayed at the door all night, but was really worried, and he didn't dare to close his eyes for a while, and he kept listening to the movements with the guards.

After waiting outside for a long time, I didn't see the door open. Everyone looked at each other and then looked at Pei Ji's face. Everyone in the court knew the emperor's trust in Pei Ji, and at this moment they naturally hoped that Pei Ji could come forward. Pei Ji smiled bitterly in his heart, tidied up his crown and robe and walked to the door of the imperial study room, and said carefully: "My minister Pei Ji and all court officials, please see Your Majesty."

After saying that, he took a step back and waited for the emperor's reply. But after waiting for a while, there was still no sound. Pei Ji's face couldn't help but change. He stood up and walked over, pushing the door of the imperial study room open. With a creaking sound, the light outside sprinkled into the room and suddenly became much brighter. Pei Ji adapted to the light in the room, turned around and looked inside, and then felt tight.

The emperor leaned on the chair, his eyes closed and motionless.

"His Majesty!"

Pei Ji screamed in shock and ran over quickly. Hearing his screams, all the civil and military officials outside were shocked and squeezed into the door. In an instant, everyone's face turned white. The emperor sat in a chair like a dead tree, because the light in the room was darker, but there was no doubt that this scene was scary enough. The Tang Dynasty was facing an unprecedented crisis, and if the emperor was exhausted...

"I'm fine!"

Just when everyone was panicked, Li Yuan slowly opened his eyes, laughed at himself and said, "I actually fell asleep while sitting."

The emperor was able to fall asleep, which seemed to indicate what he had figured out?

Pei Ji looked at the emperor carefully with disrespect, trying to see something from his expression. But unfortunately, there was nothing on the emperor's face except haggardness.

Li Yuan sat upright and rubbed his eyes. He looked at the important officials in the court and nodded immediately and said, "I think it's past the morning court time, right? Then I'm just lazy today and don't go to court. You guys are looking for chairs to sit down. I was originally thinking of finding you all."

"Gao Liansheng"

Li Yuan looked at the person standing outside, cleared his throat and ordered: "Go and make me a bowl of rice porridge. I feel hungry... Wait a minute, I think you haven't had breakfast either, so make more and make some snacks. The plate of lotus heart pastry cakes I had last time was a new idea? They tasted good, and I picked up the light and delicious food and gave them some."

"I am grateful to Your Majesty."

Pei Ji and others bowed their heads.

"Before the founding of the country, I had been eating on the same table with you. Some of you have followed me since Huaiyuan Town, and some have followed me since the rebellion in Taiyuan. But I still remember the days of snatching meat in an iron pot during the march, and I don't know if the meat was delicious at that time. After entering Chang'an City, I didn't feel the meat smelling attractive for a long time. It has been three years since I became emperor. Thinking about the days of eating with you, it seems that it is still in front of me."

Li Yuan stood up and stretched, walked to the door and looked out in the sunshine.

"I remember when I started the army in Taiyuan, I told you that wealth and honor will never be forgotten... I remember the merits of each of you. You are my ministers and the pillars of the Tang Dynasty. I always think that I can give you more things, but I am afraid that you will become arrogant and unrestrained and ruin your hard-won reputation and status... I have thought too much. Without you, I can't ascend to the dragon throne. If I don't get closer to you... who else can I get closer to you?"

"Don't mention it in advance, have a good breakfast."

Li Yuan waved his hand and asked Gao Liansheng to wash with water.

Pei Ji and others stood aside and waited. They all became spirits. Naturally, they knew what the emperor suddenly said. Now that Yan Yun's army is at the city, the 160,000 army is about to attack the city in an instant. When will the emperor not win over the hearts of the people?

But speaking of this, Li Yuan was indeed a little unkind after ascending the throne. A series of actions also touched the interests of these ministers. However, because the Tang Dynasty had just established a country, not only was the emperor's status unstable, but the status of these ministers was also unstable, so no one was willing to stand up and fight against the emperor.

Breakfast is actually very simple. It is made of sticky rice porridge and several large plates of exquisite snacks. It tastes very good. It is sweet but not greasy. It makes people feel comfortable to eat with rice porridge. But in fact, everyone is uncomfortable to eat. Who has the heart to taste the snack at this time?

But Li Yuan seemed to have a very good appetite. He drank two bowls of rice porridge in one breath, ate four or five snacks before stopping, wiped and put down the chopsticks, and everyone quickly put down the bowls and chopsticks and sat upright.

"Are you full?"

Li Yuan asked.

"I'm full."

Everyone answered.

"That's good!"

Li Yuan stood up, strode to the map hanging on the wall behind the desk, pointed to the location of Chang'an City and shouted: "I'm full, and you're all full, so you're ready to fight with me!"

He smiled heroically and said, "The country is my country, Chang'an City is my city, I am still in the city, so no one can come in without my permission!"

That night, the emperor figured out one thing.

The reason why he was depressed and unsuccessful in the first half of his life was because he was too indecisive. The many worries after he became emperor were also because of his indecisiveness. If this continues, the Tang Dynasty will be in crisis. Even if Li Xian fails today, it will be difficult to guarantee that Wang Xian, Zhang Xian, Zhao Xian will come out to cause trouble in the future. Since it is inevitable, why both sides should think of a solution?

Just fight, either the city will be broken or the thieves will be killed and the heads of those rebels will be removed.

...

...

Xie Yingdeng quickly walked into Li Xian's tent, saw Ye Huaixue and others nodding, and then clasped his fists at Li Xian and said, "The defenders on the city wall have been mobilized, and a lot of soldiers have been added. From half an hour ago, many Tang troops were walking back and forth on the city wall. I got closer and looked carefully with a thousand-mile eyes. They should be debugging the bed crossbow... It seems that Li Yuan is planning to defend Chang'an City to the death."

Li Xian nodded and said, "If you don't fight to the death, it's not Li Yuan. Besides..."

Thinking of Pei Ji coming yesterday, Li Xian smiled and said, "Pe Ji is an extremely smart person. He has already moved his mind. He knows that Gu is bound to win, and he does not have enough confidence in Li Yuan. But he is definitely not a person who easily turns against the battlefield. He needs to wait and see. He will not make up his mind until the momentum is clear. No matter what... he put forward a lot of harsh conditions for Gu in front of Li Yuan after he goes back, just to force Li Yuan to make up his mind. Only by fighting can Pei Ji and the others see the situation."

"Li Yuan is an indecisive person. If no one forced him, he would not be determined to fight to the death. He should have wanted to drag him to see if there were reinforcements to come in time, or to see what Gu was planning. After Pei Ji returned, he obviously said something that stimulated Li Yuan. Overnight, Li Yuan made up his mind that he would not talk about any conditions Gu proposed to him."

He walked to the tent and said with some emotion: "The time for disputes has passed."

"A quick battle and quick decision will also be beneficial to us."

Xu Shiji stood up and said, "Although the Tang army in Taiyuan is blocked by us, it is impossible to rush to help Chang'an City within two months. Li Xiaogong and Li Daozong divided some elite troops from Chang'an City. Speaking of the 80,000 to 90,000 people mobilized by Li Yuan when he pacified Li Shimin's rebellion, there is no more than 60,000 people in Chang'an City now."

"But the city of Chang'an City is strong and the bed crossbow is sharp enough. Moreover, the wealthy families in Chang'an City don't know what their lord's attitude is, I'm afraid they will stand on Li Yuan's side this time."

"The reason why I waited for a few days..."

Li Xian pointed to Chang'an City opposite and said, "It is because there are too many heavy crossbows on the walls of Chang'an City, and there are almost every twenty steps. It is really too troublesome, and there are many arrow towers. In addition, there is no shortage of food in Chang'an City, and it is strong in the city. It is not impossible for 50,000 troops to hold on for a year and a half."

"The navy asked the navy to collect and transport the huge stones used in the stone throwing cart. There were more than a thousand pieces in the past few days. They only attacked the North City and smashed the crossbows on the Chang'an city walls in one day. It would be best if the spies in the city could cooperate with the inside and outside, but Li Yuan must be extremely careful. The spies could not place all their hopes on the spies. They could not find a chance to start."

"It's a pity that human calculations are not as good as heaven's calculations. Li Yuan transferred the man who was buried deepest away from Tai Chi Palace, otherwise he would act just in his status. Although our gunpowder has a lot of reserves, the power of the shock is far greater than the actual effect. It's still too difficult to use gunpowder to break through the city gate..."

Xu Shiji said: "The siege tower chariot brought by the navy has been assembled, which is higher than the city wall of Chang'an City. As long as the bed crossbow on the city wall is cleared, 10,000 archers are drawn from each battalion, and then 10,000 archers are transferred from the navy. The 20,000 arrow formation should be enough for the defenders on the city wall to be unable to raise their heads."

"What I am worried about now is that Li Yuan ordered the city gate to be blocked. The walls of Chang'an City are too high, and the ladder will tremble as long as people climb up. If they attack hard, the casualties will not be too small."

"Wu Yunzhao"

Li Xian turned around and ordered: "Don't remove your Ruijin Camp every day and night. If the spy in the city sends a signal, your men will immediately attack the city. If the spy in the city does not send a signal tomorrow morning, your Aoki Camp will take turns tomorrow morning, and the schedule is Zhenhou Tu Camp will take turns. If there is still no signal in the city, then attack the city with all your strength!"

Li Xian walked back to his chair and sat down and said, "Maogong is the Grand Marshal of the March, you all obey Maogong's orders for siege!"

"Here!"

The generals clasped their fists and looked solemn.

...

...

Tai Chi Palace Imperial Guard Camp Station

After Prince Li Jiancheng was assassinated, Xuanwu Guard was revoked and transferred to the Imperial Guard Camp. Wan Yulou's status could have plummeted. If the prince did not die, he would have to be appointed as a third-rank general with such an identity. He would not be able to get a job guarding the palace city with such an identity.

Because he had just been divided into the imperial guards, his team of hundreds of people was excluded by the original imperial guards. Even the barracks were in the corner, which looked extremely shabby. After Dugu Xue was transferred to the Minister of Justice, Li Yuan gave the position of general guards to the eunuch Gao Liansheng. An eunuch who could lead the imperial guards was probably much more prominent than Wen Gu, the commander of Longting Guard during the Daye period of the Sui Dynasty.

Speaking of which, Li Yuan was also helpless. The military commanders in the court all transferred him to Zhang Gongjin and Liu Hongji, especially Liu Hongji who was guarding the northern city. He had very few capable generals under his command. He could not trust others in the palace garrison, but Li Yuan, however, had always believed Gao Liansheng's loyalty.

"The Xuanwu Gate will be closed until it is in the night. We can't go out of the palace!"

Wan Yulou said with a headache: "I can't get close to Xi Neiyuan City Gate, what should I do if the lord's bus is carrying this job?"

He rubbed his sore eyebrows and said, "If we attack hard, these hundreds of us are not enough for the city defense force to shoot as targets. But if we don't attack hard, how can we open the Xuanwu Gate?"

"Or... arrest Gao Liansheng and force him to order the Xuanwu Gate to open?"

Wan Yulou's confidant said tentatively.

"Liu Hongji is in charge of the North City!"

Wan Yulou frowned and said, "As soon as something happens to Xuanwu Gate, he will be able to mobilize his troops to fight back immediately."

"It would be great if the city gate was opened by the imperial guards themselves."

Someone sighed.

"yes!"

Wan Yulou's eyes lit up, and then he patted his thighs and was excited: "If there are chaos everywhere in the city and the city defense forces cannot move around, it must be the imperial guards who leave the city to quell the chaos! At that time, we can leave the Tai Chi Palace, and then rush straight to Xi Neiyuan to find a way to blow up the city gate!"

"Black-faced, thin man, those two people can't be too leisurely!"
Chapter completed!