Chapter 854: Children of the Li family!
Li Jiancheng looked at Li Xiuning with a smile.
However, Li Shimin, who was only fifteen or sixteen years old, and Li Yuanji and Li Zhiyun, who were only twelve years old, all looked at their elder sister in surprise. Li Shimin even asked directly in a low voice: "Brother, what about the legendary Luo family? Have they arrived in Chang'an?"
Li Jiancheng smiled gently and said, "Who else could it be? Of course it would be the Luo family."
Immediately, several exclamations were heard in the hall. Li Jiancheng quickly raised his hand and whispered, "Keep your voice down and don't let anyone know. This is not the same as before."
Although Li Xiuning was a woman, she was full of heroic spirit. When she heard that her fiancé was coming, she was a little shy, but she still asked Li Jiancheng in a generous manner: "Brother, although it has been so many years since we last met, as long as we are alive, we should keep our promises.
Since Luo has sent a visiting card, I, Li, will naturally welcome the distinguished guest into my house."
Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin nodded when they heard this, but Li Yuanji curled his lips but said nothing. Li Zhiyun was a little confused and just watched the fun.
Li Jiancheng said in a gentle voice: "Father and mother are both away, so your eldest sister-in-law and I will take charge of the household affairs.
My brothers, please do not bring shame to our Li family. Please invite the distinguished guest from the Luo family to our house first, and then discuss the wedding date after father comes back.
All of you should remember that this is your sister's future husband's family. My Li family is a noble family that knows etiquette. Don't do anything disrespectful, especially fourth brother. If you bring shame to your sister, I will not forgive you.
Second brother, come with me to welcome the guests. Among the guests coming is the old ancestor of the Luo family. We have to greet him as a junior. Do you understand?"
Li Shimin smiled and clasped his fists and said, "Brother, don't worry, sister, don't you trust me?"
Li Jiancheng and Li Xiuning both smiled when they heard this. Yes, the second son of the Li family, everyone who has seen him will admire him. This younger brother is so outstanding that it is simply terrifying.
…
Everyone inside and outside the Li Mansion was busy cleaning the street in front of the door and sprinkling some dust-reducing water. Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin were waiting in front of the mansion, looking at the end of the street.
The eldest and second sons of the Li family were both waiting outside the door. Even in Chang'an City, there were not many people who had this qualification.
Not long after, a carriage was seen driving up and stopped in front of the Li Mansion. The brothers Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin looked at each other and realized that it was Luo, so they hurried to greet her.
Luo Xuanye stopped the car and saw two people standing in front of the door. He whispered, "Grandpa, Young Master Li is here to greet you."
Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin saw the curtain of the carriage opened, revealing a beautiful woman with graceful eyebrows and eyes. A black ribbon was tied between her eyebrows, which fell together with her long black hair, making her skin look white as snow.
Luo Xuanjing sat on the front step of the car and bowed slightly, saying, "Hello, gentlemen."
Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin responded in unison: "My lady, how are you?"
Luo Xuanjing helped Luo Su out and said in a crisp voice: "This is the ancestor of my Luo family."
Luo Su was the kind of person who looked very young but never gave people the impression of being young. The title of ancestor would not feel out of place when applied to him. This time, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin bowed deeply and said, "Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, we pay our respects to the ancestor. May you be safe and happy."
Looking at the two people in front of him, Luo Su nodded slightly. He knew that Li Yuan was not there, but it was not a big problem. Li Jiancheng was already very old, and it was just a marriage, so he could make the decision.
A group of people surrounded Luo Su and walked into the mansion. Everyone in Li's mansion looked at Luo Su and the other two with curiosity. The reason was naturally not the holy marks, which were covered by Luo Xuanjing, and Luo Su and Luo Xuanye's were hidden.
The real reason is that the three of them have too top-notch looks. In the past, people thought that the looks of Li Jiancheng, Li Xiuning and Li Shimin were top-notch enough, but now it seems that they are not as good as the three in front of them.
Is this the girl’s future husband’s family?
That future son-in-law must be very good-looking.
When they entered the hall, Li Jiancheng's wife, Zheng, had already had a sumptuous banquet prepared. His wife was from the Xingyang Zheng family, which was considered one of the top families in Shandong.
After twelve or thirteen years, Li Xiuning finally met Luo Su and the other two again.
She was extremely tall and beautiful, with a long swan neck and a well-proportioned figure. Even in a maid's uniform, she could not conceal her heroic spirit. Her eyes and brows seemed to be filled with blooming flowers, and one could tell from her face that she was a very strong woman.
For Li Xiuning, the memory from more than ten years ago is something she will never forget. From death to life, it is unforgettable.
The three people who appeared in front of her now seemed to have not changed at all. The old ancestor who gave her the jade still had the same face. The daughter of Luo family had grown into a graceful and beautiful lady, and the son of Luo family had a more severe face, but his eyebrows and eyes were still beautiful.
This time, Luo Xuanye knew that Li Xiuning would be his wife in the future, so he restrained all his aura and looked just a little cold.
Li Xiuning bowed to Luo Sufu, and then said solemnly: "Li Xiuning, I pay my respects to the ancestor."
The hall was very quiet, only her voice could be heard, Luo Su smiled and said: "Little girl, we meet again, that day I told you that I would give you a marriage, are you still willing?
Luo's never forces anything, it's up to you."
Li Xiuning glanced at Luo Xuanye and said, "Xiuning has accepted your jade, so I will naturally follow the instructions of the ancestor."
Luo Su looked at Li Jiancheng again.
Li Jiancheng said sternly, "Xiuning is over 20 years old and has never married. She is waiting for Luo to marry her. Because of Xiuning's marriage, even Shimin's marriage has been delayed. This must be my Li's attitude."
Luo Su and others naturally knew about the Li family, including these in-laws.
Luo Xuanjing said with a cute smile: "We all know what the eldest young master said. The old ancestor is very satisfied with your family's marriage to Changsun. The Luo family does not like those families who despise the poor and love the rich."
The Changsun family was certainly one of the prominent families in the Sui Dynasty, but the brother and sister Changsun Wuji and Changsun Wugou were truly lonely and helpless.
For a family like the Li family, political marriage is a must, such as the marriage between Li Jiancheng and Zheng.
The fact that Li kept his promise to marry Changsun back home even when Changsun lost power and could not provide any help was a plus for Luo.
Li Shimin could not help but raise his eyebrows. In some ways, he was a typical nobleman. He liked martial arts since he was a child and liked to get together with a group of people to play various games. He read books, of course, but he was not well versed in the teachings of sages. It can even be said that when asked about the mysteries of the scriptures, he was completely clueless. He was filled with a kind of original vitality, as if he had endless energy. Now when he heard Luo talking about his marriage, he could not help but smile.
For him, marriage can be a help, but it doesn't matter if he doesn't have it. He has known since childhood that the title of Duke of Tang will go to his eldest brother in the future, and he doesn't even care about this. He will use the bow and horse to earn merit for himself like his ancestors.
After Li Jiancheng and Li Xiuning were confirmed, Luo Su sat in the main seat and said, "In this case, let's finalize this matter today. Xiuning, the husband I choose for you is the one next to you.
He is the third son of Luo Chengxian, the current head of the Luo family. His name is Xuan Ye, and his courtesy name is Qingyang. Chengxian is the 62nd generation descendant of our Luo family, and Xuan Ye is the 63rd generation descendant.
Since you have entered the Luo family, you should know my identity and serve me tea.
I am the great-great-grandson of King Su and the regent of the Zhou Dynasty. You younger generations usually call me 'Duke Luo Wen'."
quiet!
There was dead silence, and all the Li family members stood there in a daze.
Only Luo Xuanjing's voice sounded at the right time, "The teacher of King Zhao of Zhou, the second sage king of the Zhou Dynasty, the founder of the Zhou-Zhao rule, the enfeofferer of the various states of Xia, the man who saved the Zhou Dynasty, the first civil official of the three generations, and the sage of the various states in the classics of the various schools of thought.
The son of the Luo family whom Su Wang’s ancestor trusted the most.
With the grace of the Emperor, the heroic spirit has descended to this world to revive the great cause. "
These heavy hammers struck everyone's heart, as if they were listening to a myth. It was something that completely shattered people's imaginations. An ancient man who lived fifteen hundred years ago, and who was completely deified, was now right in front of them.
You must be kidding.
Li Jiancheng slightly raised the corners of his mouth, he wanted to smile.
But reason told him and everyone else, why did Luo tell this lie?
This is totally unnecessary!
Luo Xuanye tugged at Li Xiuning's sleeve. This was the first time that Li Xiuning saw Luo Xuanye's eyes.
Those pupils were still cold, but this time she looked into those eyes and realized that after thousands of years of cold river, there was not a trace of ice there. On the contrary, there were birdsong, flowers, and the warm sunshine.
She understood what Luo Xuanye meant.
She knelt down in front of Luo Su again with a plop, kowtowed heavily, then took the tea from Luo Xuanye, placed it on her forehead, and said in a clear voice: "Li Xiuning, I pay my respects to the ancestor."
Not only Li Xiuning, but everyone else knelt down. Lord Luo Wen had been worshipped in every dynasty. Now that they saw the real person, how could they not bow to him?
Not to mention them, even if their father Li Yuan was here, they would have to kneel.
"Mr. Wen, please accept our greetings!"
Luo Su laughed out loud, he took the tea and tasted it, Luo Xuanjing smiled and said: "Sister-in-law, please get up, we came in a hurry and didn't bring any valuables.
This ceremonial sword was bestowed by King Jing of Zhou, and is presented to your family. This precious jade was used by the princes in the Zhou Dynasty to pray to the heaven. This bamboo slip was bestowed by Emperor Renzong Xiaohui of Han, and is an authentic work of Emperor Renzong Xiaohui of Han.
There are also gold, pearls, jade, silver, money, and cloth as betrothal gifts. I hope your family will not despise them."
dislike?
Zheng was dumbfounded when she looked at the gift list. She couldn't help but look at Li Jiancheng, but saw that Li Jiancheng was also dazed. This scene reminded people of the legendary Luo's style.
What a generous deal.
Everyone finally recovered from the shock of Lord Luo Wen, and was shocked again by the generous betrothal gift. Luo Xuanjing smiled and said, "This betrothal gift was specially prepared by our ancestor. Your family doesn't have to return a gift of equal value, otherwise it will be not good enough."
Not to mention marriages within the clan, when marrying a woman from outside the clan, the Luo family usually does not give too expensive a betrothal gift, the main reason being that the other party cannot return the dowry.
Li Jiancheng and his companions smiled bitterly. In terms of gold, silver, pearls and jade alone, the Duke of Tang's Mansion was certainly not lacking. However, these precious cultural relics, each of which could increase the family's heritage, were simply impossible to find for the Duke of Tang's Mansion, which had only risen for a few generations.
They are not royal family. If they were royal family, they would have plundered the whole world and there would probably be things of similar value in their treasure house.
Even Li Yuanji, who was always noisy, now calmed down a little, muttering to himself that this brother-in-law's family seemed to be quite extraordinary. He did not understand the status of Luo Wengong yet, but Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin had a lot of thoughts in their minds.
After the ceremony, Li Yuanji was still restless and asked Luo Xuanye, "Brother-in-law, my sister likes weapons. She likes those mighty warriors. Can you do it?"
Luo Xuanjing narrowed his eyes when he heard this. Isn't this what my fifth brother is best at?
Luo Xuanye tried his best to say in a gentle voice: "It should be possible."
Luo Su chatted casually with Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, and felt that both of Li Yuan's sons were outstanding, at least not worse than Li Yuan. This made Luo Su immediately realize that something was wrong.
Even without the blessing of their ancestors, the Luo family cannot guarantee that a heroic father will have heroic sons. Talent is the most fair thing. The father may be extremely talented, but the son may become a fool.
Although Luo Su once said that he looked down on Li Yuan, it did not mean that Li Yuan was bad. He just did not have the ability to become a founding monarch. As a minister, he was quite qualified. He had no problem maintaining the family's wealth or making achievements.
Moreover, Li Yuan's main problem was his character. He was not tolerant of others, cared too much about family background, and was rather narrow-minded.
Now, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin are actually no worse than Li Yuan. Together with Li Xiuning, all their children are outstanding people. This kind of situation, in history, is usually a harbinger of the rise of a family.
And now, Luo Su knew that a chaotic era was about to begin. After the fall of the Sui Dynasty, the world would have a new master.
Luo Su thought to himself, the Li family is a family of outstanding people. If Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin and Li Xiuning are good enough, Li Yuan may have a chance to seize the world. Moreover, Luo Xuanye and Li Xiuning are married now. If the Li family wants to fight for the world, Luo Xuanye's character will definitely make him help the Li family.
Luo Su knew that although Luo Xuanye was not very talented in politics, he was extremely powerful in martial arts and had no problem charging into battle. It would also be good for him to be trained as the commander of a front.
Moreover, Li Yuan came from a noble family in Guanlong. If the Yang family lost the world, Li Yuan would most likely be chosen by a noble family in Guanlong. Coupled with the Li family's original prestige, Li Yuan would most likely take over Guanzhong, and finally form a situation where Western Qin went east.
Once that situation is formed.
hiss.
The more Luo Su thought about it, the more he felt that he would not really let this kid Li Yuan succeed. If he became the founding monarch, it would simply lower the bottom line for a founding monarch.
Luo Su recalled the heroes he had met along the way, and suddenly wanted to take a look at the thoughts of Li Yuan's sons.
Hearing that Duke Wen of Luo wanted to see them, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin immediately became alert. Even though they did not know yet that Luo Su had decided to overthrow the Sui Dynasty, being able to perform in front of Duke Wen of Luo was something that ordinary people could not do.
Li Yuanji excitedly brought a few people to the training ground. The children of the Li family were all skilled in archery and horse riding. Even Li Yuanji, who was only twelve years old, showed quite good horsemanship after entering the field, and even waved a pair of sledgehammers with great power.
Luo Su could tell at a glance that Li Yuanji was born with supernatural powers. Such a person would definitely become a powerful general in the future. Moreover, he came from a family of generals like the Li family, so it is easy to find armies but difficult to find a general. His future is limitless.
Li Xiuning and Luo Xuanjing stood beside Luo Su, pointing at Li Shimin who was riding and shooting in the parade ground, and said, "Grandfather, when my second brother was young, a fortune teller said that he had the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix, and the appearance of the sun and the sky, and that he would be able to help the world and bring peace to the people in the future, so my father changed his name to Shimin."
"The appearance of dragon and phoenix, the appearance of heaven and sun."
Luo Su looked at Li Shimin. From the first time he met Li Shimin, he could feel the strong martial spirit in him. He was not old, but there was a kind of strength in his look, a kind of original vitality. The vitality was so strong that it was like those people on the grassland, barbaric.
But Li Shimin was obviously not like that. He mastered it very well and was very polite, but one could also tell at a glance that he was not the kind of person who read books about the teachings of sages. No wonder the fortune teller said that he could help the world and bring peace to the people. Anyone with a little vision could see that Li Shimin was a talent.
What about Luo Su?
Now Luo Su just wants to know what Li Shimin is thinking.
There are so many talented people in this world. Doesn’t Yang Guang have any talent?
Or was it that the Emperor Li of Han had no talent at that time?
Of all the people Luo Su had met in this world, only King Li of Zhou was a real waste.
Li Shimin was riding on his horse, with the target the only thing in his eyes. He was always confident in his bow and arrows, and sure enough, he shot arrows continuously without missing a single one.
This caused waves of cheers, and even Luo Xuanye couldn't help but glance sideways, thinking that his brother-in-law was really good at archery.
Luo Su called Li Shimin to his side, looked him up and down, and deliberately praised him, saying, "You are such a brave and brave boy. When you grow up, I'm afraid you will be able to use force to quell the chaos in the world."
Li Shimin had not yet recovered from the high-frequency movement just now, and said directly: "The world cannot be pacified by force alone, otherwise the world would not be in such chaos now."
After he finished speaking, he finally reacted and looked at Luo Su nervously. Luo Su laughed out loud when he heard it and asked, "Then tell me, why has the world become so chaotic now?"
Li Shimin then realized that Duke Wen was testing him on purpose. He paused for a moment and said, "Force is used to defeat the enemy, but it is the people who cause chaos in the world. The people are not the enemy, so force cannot be used to stabilize the world.
The one who turns the people into rioters is the enemy.
What makes the people rebel is tyranny. The emperor does not use benevolence to govern the world, which leads to this result. "
Li Shimin was the second person Luo Su met who talked about benevolence. The first was Dou Jiande. It was because Dou Jiande talked about benevolence that Luo Su placed Dou Jiande above Li Yuan.
Luo Su asked again with great interest: "Then what do you think is benevolence?"
Li Shimin was a little embarrassed when he heard this. He scratched his head and said, "It's probably what Meng Sheng said. We can't treat the people as cattle and slaves."
He thought to himself that he must read those books carefully in the future and must never let such a thing as not being able to recite the classics happen again.
Luo Su smiled. He naturally saw Li Shimin's embarrassment and said with a smile: "You don't have to write down all the words written on paper. What's the point of remembering too much but not doing it?
Although you can't remember many things, you can know the essence contained in them, which is enough. What you said just now is very good."
The unexpected praise from Duke Wen was a great encouragement to the young Li Shimin.
…
"The Li family is really going to prosper."
After Luo Su left the Li Mansion, he looked at the splendid gate and said, "In this family, even Li Yuanji is quite good. Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin are both outstanding people, even more outstanding than I imagined.
Especially Li Shimin, if he had been able to listen to advice, be more tolerant, and have the spirit of not giving up in the face of setbacks, he would almost be a model of a sage king.
Li Jiancheng was also quite good, but his military talent was lacking.
I need to observe these people for a while, Changan will not leave for the time being."
Luo Xuanjing asked in surprise: "Grandfather, if Yang Xuangan's army enters Guanzhong, do we really have to stay in this chaotic place?"
Luo Su smiled and said, "Yang Xuangan can't enter Chang'an. It won't be long before we hear the news of his defeat."
…
Luo Su's words were very accurate. Yang Xuangan was known as the Hongnong Yang clan, but he couldn't even capture the Hongnong Palace. He was defeated in his own hometown. This incident was enough to nail him to the pillar of shame.
On the way to Guanzhong, he actually attacked Hongnong Palace, which was a very stupid thing to do.
He is dead.
What happened after his death proved that Yang Guang was not a human being, but a humanoid creature who was even more mentally retarded than Yang Xuangan.
After Yang Xuangan's rebellion was put down, it was immediately reported that a direct descendant of the Luo family had met Yang Xuangan and said that the first thing he would do after returning to the south was to overthrow the Mandate of Heaven of the Sui Dynasty.
These words were spread everywhere and became a hot topic.
In this situation, Yang Guang said something that could be nailed to the pillar of shame, "Yang Xuangan raised his arm and called for help, and he had 100,000 followers. The Shandong bandits roared and had hundreds of thousands of followers. This shows that the population of the Great Sui Dynasty is too large, and some should be killed."
When these words were spoken, the court officials were dumbfounded.
What kind of reason is this?
But the emperor's order was an imperial decree, and a massacre involving tens of thousands of people took place in Luoyang. The most outrageous thing was that all the people who had accepted Yang Xuangan's order to open their granaries to release grain were buried alive.
Yang Guang's mass killings did stabilize the government for a short period of time, but at the same time, officials in the court felt that the emperor was becoming more and more terrifying, and the trust between the monarch and his subjects almost disappeared.
…
During the period when Yang Xuangan was rebelling and Yang Guang was having an affair, Luo Su often met Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng. Frequent contact had made Luo Su familiar with Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng.
At this time, Luo Su finally put Li Yuan among the group of people who could compete for the world.
Although Li Yuan is not a good kid, he has a pair of good sons. Now all the Li family needs is a great general, and they will be ready.
A divine general is necessary for founding a country, although it is often said that wars are fought with logistics, and if the logistics are strong, victory can be achieved.
But in fact, according to Luo Su's understanding, in history, there are not many wars that were truly won by relying on logistics.
Logistics only provides an opportunity to provide support, allowing one side to continue to make mistakes, but logistics cannot truly bring victory.
When Emperor Gaozu of Han and King Xiang fought for the world, it can be said that it was a victory of logistics. But if there was no Han Xin, the military genius and god of war, how much logistics could Emperor Gaozu of Han have been able to withstand his defeat in the Battle of Pengcheng?
At most twice, Henkel's so-called logistics will go bankrupt!
Li Shimin has the potential to be a commander, but Luo Su is not sure whether he can become a god of war.
A real war is needed to examine this.
Li Yuan returned to Chang'an City. He had gained some of Yang Guang's trust and was sent to Taiyuan by Yang Guang to guard against the Turks. Before that, he returned to Chang'an to see his remaining relatives.
He planned to take his second son, Li Shimin, to Taiyuan.
During the second expedition to Liaodong, he lost his wife, Dou, which left him physically and mentally exhausted.
When he walked into the mansion with his personal guards, he saw Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin who were about to leave. The two brothers couldn't believe that their father had suddenly come back.
"Da Lang, Er Lang, where are you going?"
Li Yuan was also a little confused.
In the hall.
After Li Yuan drank a cup of hot tea and listened to what Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin finished talking, he finally understood what had happened while he was away.
"Father, where's mother? Didn't she come back?"
Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin both looked around, wondering why their mother did not come back with their father.
Li Yuan, who was quite excited because of the reappearance of Luo Su and others, suddenly became depressed. The two brothers were very good at observing people's words and expressions, and immediately had a bad premonition and hurriedly said, "Father!"
Li Yuan sighed and said, "Until now, I don't know how to tell you that your mother has died of illness. Alas."
Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin were stunned for a moment, tears almost immediately filled their eyes.
…
Funeral decorations were hung in Li's mansion, and Luo Xuanye attended this not-so-grand funeral. Dou died on the way to the expedition to Liaodong. The emperor did not want to see these funerals, so Li Yuan could only suppress his grief in his heart.
The marriages of Luo Xuanye and Li Xiuning, as well as Li Shimin and Changsun, would naturally be postponed.
However, Confucianism in this world has been severely punished and there is no tradition of observing mourning for several years.
You can start preparing after three months.
After all this was over, Li Yuan finally came to visit Luo Su. He had learned Luo Su's true identity from Li Jiancheng.
At first, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin were still a little skeptical, but later Luo Su completely convinced them with his omniscience.
Li Yuan never expected that the Luo family member he met on the road would actually be the legendary Duke Wen. He almost instantly remembered the rumors.
Is the Sui Dynasty really going to perish?
Those are the words spoken by Duke Wen.
He couldn't help thinking.
Walking into the courtyard, Li Yuan saw Luo Su lying on a rocking chair under a tree, looking very relaxed. Seeing Li Yuan coming in, Luo Su smiled softly and said, "Duke Tang, long time no see."
Li Yuan bowed.
————
Luo, Yuchi, Qin, and Cheng were all brave and valiant. Luo Qingyang's spirit penetrated the three armies, Yuchi Jingde's strength collapsed the mountains, Qin Shubao rode alone with a sword, and Cheng Zhijie stabbed the generals in battle. The four generals led the way for the King of Qin. They were all enemies of ten thousand people! - "Records of Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties"
(End of this chapter)
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