Li Hong sat on the chair, shaking his upper body, thinking for a while and then said: "Let's see which of the three brothers is more loyal to our Tang Dynasty. This time when you go to Goryeo, I think all three of them will come to you. You can consider it at that time. Just remember who is the most loyal. As long as the three countries are in war for many years, it will be enough to buy a little time for our Tang Dynasty to rest and recuperate."

Liu Rengui and Ren Ya looked at each other, then looked at Li Hong and said at the same time: "The best strategy is to attack the enemy's strategy."

Li Hong nodded without comment. Seeing that the two had finished their meal and had no intention of moving, he continued, "Dai Zhide brought this upon himself. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness are important, and we need to respect the splendid civilization left to us by our ancestors, but this does not mean that we should stick to tradition! There are some things we need to respect, but times are changing. You can't always look at the future from a historical perspective."

"Your Highness, I think you are a little too hasty to dismiss Dai Zhide today. As the regent prince, you have the right to do so, but if you act so hastily, I am afraid that His Majesty will..."

"Beat me up?" Li Hong lay on the table, took the water cup that Xia Zhi had placed, and continued: "The Ministry of War knows how to use new weapons, battle formations, and arms to fight, so why can't the Ministry of Rites understand flexibility? If they are all as stubborn as Dai Zhide, then why don't we just let the Li Dynasty restore the Zhou Dynasty system, and we can all maintain the well-field system together, and then establish a few princes? Is it feasible? Didn't the Qin State win by unifying the six countries in the past because it was flexible and completely abandoned the concepts left by its predecessors, and used high-risk and high-cost reforms to exchange for the highest benefits? The development process of any thing requires courage and blood. We don't need officials who stand on the credit book and shout about the prosperous scene. What the Tang Dynasty needs are officials who are always hungry and always in a state of crisis, not officials who are in a state of satisfaction."

Li Hong knew better than anyone that the support of the Zhongshu and Menxia bosses was important, but the attitudes of Ren Yaxiang and Liu Rengui in the Ministry of War were more important to him than anything else.

He was willing to take the trouble to explain to the two of them because he hoped that Liu Rengui would truly obey his wishes, rather than coming back with an attitude of not obeying his orders after arriving in Liaodong.

There is no wall that is impenetrable. On the second day after Li Hong finished his meeting in the East Palace meeting hall, in a secluded house in Liangzhou, two people sat on the ground, drinking fresh tea brought from the south this year with indifferent expressions.

"Now it seems that he is determined to take Liaodong. This coincides with the will of your Tang Emperor, hehe." A young Turkic man dressed in Tang clothes said to Li Zhong opposite him.

...

...

Li Zhong held the teacup to his nose, took a deep sniff of the unique aroma of the new tea, and then drank it all in one gulp with a calm movement.

His face was still full of a simple and honest expression. He looked at the Turkic young man and said, "I didn't expect that you would have the courage to run into the Tang Dynasty without permission. Aren't you afraid of being discovered?"

After saying that, Li Zhong couldn't help but glance at the young man's right hand, only to see that it was covered with horrible scars, as if it had been roasted or fried.

The young Turkic man obviously noticed Li Zhong's gaze in that direction, and slowly raised his right hand covered with horrible scars, as if he was admiring a treasure, and said calmly: "Now your Tang Dynasty is at its peak, and merchants from all over the world are flocking to it to do business. Would you care about having someone like me?"

Li Zhong smiled innocently and asked, "So you came here this time to find out where the focus of the Tang Dynasty's military power is now?"

"That's right, so I still need you, King Liang, to teach me." The young Turkic man said with a smile.

Li Zhong looked at him stupidly and shook his head. This Ashnu, who was conquered by the Tang Dynasty along with his father three years ago, was now settled in Khotan, one of the four towns of Anxi. But now he seemed to have colluded with Tubo. In order to restore his country, he began to find out whether the Tang Dynasty's current military focus is in the west or the east.

"What do you think?" Li Zhong asked back.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is extremely smart. I can't guess what he is thinking. Now he is the regent, but does he have the final say?"

Li Zhong remained silent and just nodded lightly.

Ashinu continued to look at his right hand, thought for a moment and said, "So, the Tang Dynasty will continue to use troops against Liaodong, and Anxi will naturally not become the focus?"

Li Zhong folded his arms across his chest and looked at Ashnu with a silly smile, until Ashnu took out a piece of paper from his arms and slowly handed it to him.

Li Zhongcai put down his arms that were folded across his chest, took the paper and looked at the amount on it. This was the highest-level banknote number of the Royal Bank. As long as he had the token, he could receive the money at will.

"Is your hand still hurting lately?" Li Zhong asked suddenly after collecting the ticket number with a murderous look.

"Prince Liang, you were deposed from the position of Crown Prince. Don't you know how it feels? Back then, I was raped by the four-year-old Crown Prince... Oh, he was still the King of Dai, and you were still the Crown Prince, right? If he hadn't cast a spell, how could my hand have become like this!"

"Do you still hate Li Hong?" Li Zhong narrowed his eyes. Although he still looked honest and simple, his eyes reflected a chilling light.

"Of course. If I succeed in restoring my country, I will definitely pull him down and let the Emperor of Tang make you the crown prince again." Ashnu looked at his hand and said fiercely.

"Haha... I no longer have the ambition to be a crown prince. Isn't it good now? Just as Li Hong said: picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, leisurely seeing the southern mountains. What a comfortable life. If you want to know the truth, these are far from enough." Li Zhong patted the ticket number he had placed on his chest, and his leisurely expression suddenly became stern.

It was not until Ashinu took out two more bills with the same number that a simple smile reappeared on Li Zhong's face.

He stood up and looked at the green forest. There was a small thatched cottage in the middle. It was the same place where Li Hong had come when he first came here. He had a sudden idea and said that if he built a thatched cottage here, it would be more interesting to drink tea when it rains. So Li Zhong built it, but Li Hong had never been here before.

"Ever since I was deposed, I have been trying to figure out Li Hong. What on earth did he rely on? How could he receive such great favor from my father and the empress? He was appointed as the minister at the age of ten, and was appointed as the prefect of Jingzhao at the age of fourteen. The Taiyi City, which is like a treasure pot, is even more of a problem. Not only has he been the regent several times, but he even dismissed the minister of rites yesterday. It is said that until now, the Eastern Capital has not issued an edict to inquire about him. What a great favor this is. Do you think you have a chance to touch him?"

"Hehe, it's never too late for a gentleman to take revenge. As long as the Tang Dynasty's troops are in the east, we have hope of overthrowing him, right? Wouldn't this also allow you to vent your anger?" Ashnu followed behind Li Zhong, standing under the eaves of the thatched cottage, feeling the gentle breeze blowing across his face.

"Then let me tell you, you now have the chance to avenge your right hand." Li Zhong said calmly, looking at the woods.

"What does King Liang mean? Please tell me clearly." Ashinu was startled and hurriedly came forward to ask.

Li Zhong did not rush to answer him. Instead, he thought for a moment, organized his words and said, "I have been studying Li Hong for these years. Although I don't know everything about him, I have discovered a sign. That is, when Li Hong starts to do something, his attention has actually shifted to another place, not to the thing itself."

How could Ashinu understand Li Zhong's words which sounded like he was talking to himself? He could only frown and listen attentively with his ears perked up.

"When he cast a spell to burn your hand, where was his attention? In Chang'an, not on you. He did this just to deceive others." Li Zhong followed the clues in his mind and continued, "But after he arrived in Chang'an, he should have focused on the two colored glazes, but what happened in the end? His attention was on Princess Lanling and the others, and also on the crystal tablet and the glass. Who could have thought of this?"

"Not to mention Taiyi City. When he went to Taiyi City, everyone thought he wanted to go there to have fun. Everyone thought he was going there for the Chamber of Commerce, but no one realized his real purpose."

"Then... then what is his purpose?" Ashnu felt dizzy and asked anxiously for the result.

"I went to Taiyi City that year, but I suddenly couldn't see through his purpose this time, so I changed my mind and ran to Taiyi City, just to see what his purpose was! The Chamber of Commerce was used to cover up, punishing Helan Minzhi was just a coincidence, and patrolling his restricted area was impossible. I even suspected that everything he did was to lure the queen to Taiyi City and then get rid of her. But when the murderer was arrested, I overturned my idea again. I still don't know what his purpose was in going to Taiyi City that time! Was it to see Sun Simiao for medical treatment? Or to find Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng for divination? But when he was born, Li Chunfeng had already given a prophecy through the mouths of the Taoists."

"King Liang, you've said a lot. What do you think he did it for?"

Li Zhong's honest expression was extremely wise at the moment. He sighed slowly with his hands behind his back and said, "I don't know why he came to Taiyi City, and what his ultimate goal is. For so many years, this is the only thing that bothers me. But he seems to be aiming at Liaodong this time, but in fact he is aiming at Anxi! So, you have a chance to avenge your right hand this time."

Li Zhong turned around, his eyes showing disdain and coldness. He sneered at Ashinu, then went into the hut first, and continued to speak in a faint voice: "Yes, he seems to be aiming at Liaodong this time, but in fact he has already intended to go to Anxi! I think Li Hong's ambition is now clear to the world. He is now eyeing the position of Shangshu Ling that the previous emperor once held. Therefore, he is determined to go to the Western Regions."