Chapter 658: Take your head sooner or later

It was not long before Liu Hongji was dismissed from serving as a citizen to re-opening. When the Qin King led his army to attack Xuanwu Gate that day, he wanted to commit suicide and apologize, but was summoned to the palace by Li Yuan. In the imperial study, Li Yuan scolded him fiercely, and even called him an unfaithful person. However, because Liu Hongji's contribution was too great, the emperor finally spared him his death penalty, and only stripped all his official positions and demoted him to common people.

Before the Yan King Li Xian besieged Chang'an City, Li Yuan sent someone to call him, restored his title of Duke Kui, and appointed him as the Grand Marshal of the Military Prefecture, found the Duke Yitong Sansi, and added the Zhuguo Kingdom. The official title was still above Duke Zhang Gongjin of the Duke of Tan. At this time, most of the military affairs in Chang'an City were handed over to him.

Several fires last night caused panic. Fortunately, Liu Hongji had already had the city defense force to defend the city. Although the fire destroyed many houses and buildings, the impact was not very big. Fortunately, the fine work of King Yan Li Xian ambushed in the city did not take the opportunity to cause trouble again, which made Liu Hongji breathe a lot of relief.

He was the first minister of the Li family's army's attack on Chang'an City. Since the eighth year of Daye, when the Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty issued an order to personally conquer Goguryeo, he went to Huaiyuan Town, western Liaoning to join Li Yuan. His father was Liu Sheng, the governor of Hezhou, and he was an old friend with Li Yuan. The two families had a very good relationship and often had contacts. Later, Liu Sheng died of illness and his family was in decline.

After Liu Hongji became an adult, his family was poor and worse than ordinary people. When Emperor Yang Guang of Daye issued an order to conquer Liaodong, he wanted to join the army, but he had no money to buy horses and couldn't keep up with the large army, so he had to rush to western Liaoning alone to report. He used up all his money on the way, but he had no choice but to steal a plowing ox with a butcher and slaughtered a plowing ox and sold money to live, and was detained by the county magistrate.

According to the Great Sui Dynasty, killing plowing oxen was a serious crime. Fortunately, he had some righteous friends and paid money to protect him. Liu Hongji walked north and stole a horse on the way to Huaiyuan Town and joined Li Yuan's disciple. Since then, he has made many military achievements, and Li Yuan respected him very much. After the rebellion in Taiyuan, Liu Hongji fought and never lost all the way, and he was the first to enter Chang'an City, which was the first contribution to the Tang Dynasty's capital.

Originally, when Qin King Li Shimin rebelled, Liu Hongji was completely disappointed. Who would have thought that because of someone's rebellion, he restored all his official positions and titles, and he could even be said to be a superior minister now.

Before the sun could emerge the next morning, Liu Hongji asked Duke Zhang Gongjin of Tan to enter the Tai Chi Palace together. Because it was too early, the Xuanwu Gate had not opened yet, and the two of them waited outside for half an hour. The emperor ordered that no matter what the situation occurred, the Xuanwu Gate could not be opened in advance without his will. Even Gao Liansheng, who led the imperial guards, did not have this right. In fact, the attack and garrison were still controlled by Li Yuan himself.

"That fire last night..."

Zhang Gongjin glanced at Liu Hongji and did not continue to say halfway.

"I think it's what Li Xian's inner work should do."

Liu Hongji whispered.

"But why is there no following?"

Zhang Gongjin said in confusion: "It has already started to fire, and the city is a little messy. The fire is so bright. The rebels outside the city should not be unable to see it... And since Li Xian sets fire inside the city, he must have made an agreement with Li Xian. When the city gets fire, Li Xian leads his troops to attack the city... When the fire starts, why is he still moving?"

"I thought about it in the middle of the night, too!"

Liu Hongji rubbed his swollen eyes and sighed and said, "Thinking about it is nothing more than a possibility. This fire is not a signal that Li Xian and Neiwang agreed upon."

"Then why should his inner fire be set?"

Zhang Gongjin sighed and said, "It's not working..."

"I didn't understand it either. It was not just you and me. I'm afraid that your Majesty might not be able to guess Li Xian's intentions."

"I hope it's safe."

Zhang Gongjin smiled bitterly and shook his head: "It's a turbulent time!"

"After entering the palace, I plan to ask Your Majesty to send someone to break out of the siege and ask for help. Prince Li Xiaogong has at least 50,000 soldiers, and the King of Qin also has 50,000 or 60,000. If the messenger's mount is fast, the reinforcements should be able to come back within two months. Li Daozong has 130,000 and 40,000 people and large ships outside the Dongdu City. If he walks from Dongdu to Chang'an, it will not take long... If he is lucky, the siege of Chang'an will be unlocked before September."

"It's not easy!"

Zhang Gongjin lowered his voice and said, "It is natural for the King of Qin to speak... After all, if Li Xian enters the city, the King of Qin will really have no hope. It is so difficult for him to fight back to Chang'an City. So if the news is sent out, the King of Qin and Li Xiaogong will definitely lead the army back to aid, but now they are fighting fiercely with Xiao Xian. If Xiao Xian attracts Xiao Xian, the wolf, to drive the tiger, it may not be a good thing. Xiao Xian has 400,000 troops, so how can the King of Qin and Li Xiaogong get out so easily."

"As for Li Daozong's tens of thousands of troops... not to mention being restrained by Yan Yun's army, not to mention being restrained by Wang Shichong, even if there is a large ship that can drive back? Yan Yun's navy is so powerful, and the Sui Donglai naval division is all in Li Xian's hands. It would be so difficult for Li Daozong to go back to Chang'an to rescue the car!"

Liu Hongji sighed and said, "I have considered it too, but if you don't send someone to ask for help, Chang'an City..."

Just as he was talking about this, Xuanwu Gate opened, Gao Liansheng led a team of imperial guards to the door, and saw Liu Hongji and Zhang Gongjin quickly saluted: "Two Dukes, Your Majesty is waiting for you."

...

...

Imperial study room

After hearing Liu Hongji's words, Li Yuan nodded and said, "I want to come to you, just to talk about this. The bandits besieged the city, and the troops in the east are the weakest. If a general and elite cavalry are sent out, the bandits will not be able to stop them. If they can summon troops from the Eastern Capital to rush to help, the bandits will inevitably retreat."

Liu Hongji bowed his head and said, "I have a powerful general named Xu Shengqian, who is inappropriate to the courage of thousands of men."

Zhang Gongjin also came: "There is a tiger general Wei Tianchui under my tent, and he also has the courage of thousands of men to be inappropriate."

Li Yuan said with a huff: "Let Xu Sheng angrily lead a thousand elite cavalry out of the east city and go straight to the east capital to summon Li Daozong to lead his army back to aid. Wei Tiancui led a thousand elite cavalry out of the south city and went straight to Jingxiang to transfer Li Xiaogong's troops back. If the trip is not delayed, the reinforcements can come back within two months."

He glanced at Liu Hongji and Zhang Gongjin and said, "Defending the city for two months will be with the two beloved ministers."

"How dare I not act as a dying force!"

The two people said in unison.

"Hongji is more attentive about the city defense matter...Hongshen, what do you think about the thief setting fire last night?"

When Zhang Gongjin heard His Majesty ask him, he quickly lowered his head and said, "I think it must be a detailed contact signal left by Li Xian in the city, or an agreement to attack the city, or some information to be sent."

"Whatever it is..."

Li Yuan stood up and walked to the door, looked at the majestic Tai Chi Palace and said, "It is not a good thing for these people to be hidden in the city. Hongjido is worried about the city defense. As for the Yanyun bandits' detailed work in the city, you should be more careful about this matter... There is a general named Wan Yulou among the imperial guards, who is a master of arresting criminals and searching for traces. I will transfer him to your army to assist you."

"I obey the order!"

"Around the prince, I have sent him four guards soldiers. He may not be as good as the soldiers of the Bingbai Mansion when he was fighting, but the people who pursued the criminals were far better than those of the Bingbai Mansion. Among them, I have issued an order to slaughter all the people of the Zhuque Guard, and there are also Qilin, Xuanwu, and Baize Guards. There are more than a thousand people in total, and they will be handed over to you. Even if you investigate from door to door, you will still take down all the detailed works arranged by the Yanyun bandits in the city!"

"Here!"

Li Yuan suddenly sighed and said, "I know that the breakthrough is too harsh and cruel. In a while, you two will come to Xu Shengnu and Wei Tianchui. I will tell them a few words in person."

"in addition……"

Li Yuan glanced at Liu Hongji and said, "You have a good relationship with Ning'er. She has always been calling you a brother. When she was in Huaiyuan Town, western Liaoning, she often pestered you to ask about military skills. You go and persuade her... Most of the soldiers from Hedong County were drawn from Ning'er's wife's army. If she went to the city to command, the morale of the army would be greatly boosted."

Liu Hongji was shocked. When he thought of the despair and sorrow in her eyes when he saw Li Huining not long ago, he felt embarrassed. At this time, Li Huining went to the city, and it was more or less a little light.

...

...

After Li Yuan told Liu Hongji and Zhang Gongjin to send someone to break through for help, his mind suddenly lit up. He suddenly remembered something, and he immediately laughed happily. The two of them didn't know what the emperor suddenly remembered, but they felt that Li Yuan suddenly laughed and looked a little strange.

"Why am I so confused!"

Li Yuan slapped his forehead and laughed: "There is another extremely useful person in the palace. I have only been caring about other things for a while, but I have forgotten everything. Now when I think of this person, I may not be able to retreat to nearly 200,000 rebels outside the city alone!"

Liu Hongji and Zhang Gongjin looked at each other, thinking that there were such people in the palace? Why have you never heard that Your Majesty has obtained any talented people? Could it be a famous general in the previous dynasty? But the famous generals of the Great Sui Dynasty were almost dead. Since Zhang Xutuo died in battle, there were not many generals who could take advantage of the situation. Wang Shichong was simply not considered a famous general.

"The prince once invited Li Xian's aunt to the East Palace as a guest. Later, after the prince was assassinated, I asked Dugu Xue to bring the woman to the Tai Chi Palace. I was so busy these days that I forgot so much. Didn't Li Xian attach great importance to love? This woman has great kindness to him. I want to see how he faces this woman!"

"Gao Liansheng!"

Li Yuan ordered: "Go and bring that woman to me!"

Gao Liansheng hurriedly went there. After half an hour, he ran back with a very ugly face. He looked at Li Yuan carefully, and then said with a trembling voice: "I haven't found the place to detain the criminals. I have checked all the idle houses in the palace, but I haven't even seen anyone."

"He went to spread Dugu Xue, and he locked up the man!"

Another hour later, Dugu Xue pushed open the door of a remote place in the imperial guards' garrison and led the emperor into it. The light in the room was extremely dark, and it took a while for his eyes to get used to it.

"Before I came to the Ministry of Justice to take office, I mentioned this woman to Your Majesty. Your Majesty said that no one should tell me, and I might be locked up in the future...whether of the person?!"

Dugu Xue looked at the empty room and his face changed drastically.

Li Yuan walked in quickly and glanced around the room. There was no woman there, even a mouse, and his face suddenly became extremely ugly, and his fists were clenched tightly, which was obviously trying hard to suppress the anger in his heart.

"The imperial guards are located in the palace city! They were actually kidnapped and criminalized. What's the use of me? "

"His Majesty……"

Gao Liansheng shouted carefully, then pointed to the table and said, "There is a letter."

Li Yuan walked over with a dark face, suddenly thought of something and immediately ordered an eunuch, "Open it and see if it's right!"

The little eunuch hurried forward, opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper, and said more than a dozen words.

"Four years ago, when I returned to Juyeze from Chang'an City, Xiao Xianzi talked to me about Li Yuan. He said that Li Yuan had an emperor's destiny, but he couldn't bear it. I didn't believe it that day, but today I realized that the boy really had some vision. But in my eyes, Li Yuan was a cold-blooded and ruthless beast before becoming an emperor. After becoming an emperor... he was an indecisive idiot!"

The last sentence: "Marry you sooner or later and avenge the pharmacist!"

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