Chapter 863 Zhu Luo!
Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan changed the county system that was briefly restored during the reign of Emperor Yang Guang into the prefecture-county system again, and the whole world followed suit and abandoned the county system during the reign of Emperor Yang Guang.
Gusu County became Suzhou again.
The whole country was in chaos. Yang Guang died in Yangzhou. On the Huaihe River and the Si River, a group of rebel armies fought each other. In the end, a hero named Du Fuwei emerged as the winner. In the south of the Yangtze River, Fu Gongyou and Luo Jing became the two heroes. In the old land of Jingchu, the Xiao family took advantage of the situation and rose up.
It is said that there are seventy-two roads of smoke and dust in the world, which shows how chaotic it is.
Suzhou is located in the old land of Wu and Chu. Even in this period, it still has a picture of a drizzling rain, and there has never been the coldness of war.
There are lakes dotted around, winding alleys, gurgling streams flowing over bridges, and women speaking the soft Wu dialect.
Pink walls and black tiles, ancient alleys with black clothes, in front of Luo’s hall, swallows pecking at the new mud.
Luo Jingcheng and Luo Xuanjing were sitting in the hall. Luo Xuanjing was pregnant. There was a letter on the table in front of them. It was sent by Luo Xuanye. It talked about the current situation, that the Tang Dynasty had the ambition to conquer the world, and that Li Shimin was a genius. It asked Luo Xuanjing and Luo Jingcheng to go to Chang'an to help him achieve great things together.
Luo Jingcheng looked hesitant, and asked hesitantly: "Madam, in the letter from my fifth brother, I remember you also said that the young master from Taiyuan is indeed a great man. How about I settle my family down, and then we will go north to Tang?"
Unexpectedly, Luo Xuanjing shook his head without hesitation, then smiled and said, "I can't surrender, at least not at this time.
The fifth brother married Princess Pingyang and was the consort of the Emperor of Tang. He was also a close friend of Qin Prince Li Shimin. He was granted the title of Duke of Zhou, a first-rank title, with a fief of 3,000 households, and was granted the title of General of the Left Guard, a third-rank title among the left and right generals of the twelve guards. He was appointed as the chief steward outside and the master of the palace inside.
Among the Tang royal family, his status is second only to the Tang emperor, the crown prince, and the king of Qin, and is on par with the kings of Qi and Chu. With such status and trust, he must devote himself to the Tang country, but what can we get by joining the Tang country? "
Luo Jingcheng thought that Luo Xuanjing would analyze the big principles, but he didn't expect him to be so realistic. He pondered for a while and had some ideas in his mind, but decided not to say it and let Luo Xuanjing speak.
Luo Xuanjing said seriously: "We are heading to Tang State now. In order to pacify Jiangnan in the future, the Emperor of Tang is very likely to confer a title of Duke on my husband. As our ancestors have long said, he appoints people based on personal connections.
To him, we are different from Fifth Brother.
My husband, you have the ability to lead troops, but you are not strong enough and far inferior to your fifth brother. The most he can give you is an assignment like Guanglu Xun or Yushi Dafu.
In today's chaotic world, everyone in the world has to achieve merit on the battlefield. What's the point of such an assignment?
We are guarding Jiangzuo and managing Jiangnan. If we can become as powerful as the Wu Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period, and surrender as a country, how can we appease the people of Jiangzuo if he does not grant us a hereditary position as a garrison prince?"
Luo Jingcheng was stunned when he heard this. Of course he understood all this, but wasn’t Luo Xuanye his wife’s biological fifth brother?
Luo Xuanjing patted him lightly and said with a smile: "Don't be in a daze.
Our ancestors said that we, the children of the Luo family, should help each other and work hard to climb up in the new dynasty, obtaining more titles and positions of real power.
But it didn't say how we should help each other. It's just right that Fifth Brother is inside and we are outside.
Moreover, our ancestors said that in order to cooperate with the family's future integration plan, we must expand the scope of the direct lineage and reform the marriage system within the family.
What does this mean?
This is a change in the rules of the stigmata!
The situation where our children have the stigmata and our grandchildren do not have the stigmata may change.”
Luo Jingcheng was confused. He understood the previous parts, but the last few sentences?
He asked anxiously, "Madam, wasn't this stigma rule set by the Su Wang Patriarch?"
Luo Xuanjing looked at Luo Jingcheng in surprise and said, "My husband, you are not serious in studying. The holy marks are not there from the beginning. Ancestor Wen Gong did not have holy marks in his previous life.
And among all the elders in the family, there are three special ones, namely, Ancestor Wen Gong, Ancestor Luo Shen, and Ancestor Zhao Sheng Wang.
Among them, the most special one is Patriarch Wen Gong, especially his reincarnation this time. The power he possesses is beyond our imagination.
The ancestor did not come to the world simply to assist the establishment of a new dynasty. He had too many things to do, and everything had to be in line with his plan, including the family and us. We all had to arrange things according to the ancestor's plan. For our generation of Xuan, the freedom we had in the past is gone forever.
The old Luo family's system was abandoned by ancestor Wen Gong.
My husband, work hard and demonstrate your value with courage and wisdom in the new order.
I will write the reply to my fifth brother. My husband, you should contact the scholars in Jiangnan. Those ambitious people are unwilling to join our Luo family, but there are always people who are willing to protect the safety of their family and surname. "
Luo Jingcheng still had the old rules of the Central Plains dynasties in his mind, which were the rules that had been in place for 1,600 years for the old Luo family.
"The affairs of the world depend on the emperor and the Luo family. If the emperor is reformed, the world will be reformed. If the Luo family is reformed, the world will be reformed. Reforming the Luo family is the first step to reforming the world."
This is what Luo Su said to all the direct descendants of the Luo family in Winter City, so the descendants of the Luo family who appeared this time would be so different.
…
The various Luo clan members who followed Luo Xuanxing into the Central Plains have already left the army one by one. Two of them went to Guanzhong. For the Luo clan members, there was no problem with the basic judgment.
In the future, the place that will conquer the world will either be Guanzhong or Central Plains. Luo Xuanye is in Li Tang, which is quite attractive to them.
They are not like Luo Jingcheng and Luo Xuanjing, who have large families and powerful businesses and are great families in Jiangnan.
They are alone, so naturally they will go to the most promising force.
Dou Jiande of Hebei was also highly regarded, especially in Hebei under his rule, where he governed with benevolence and virtue. The ancestors also had a high opinion of Dou Jiande, which made several of the Luo family's descendants very tempted.
Luo Su did not interfere with the choices of these heirs.
After traveling around the world for so many years, he only saw the true kingly qualities in Dou Jiande and Li Shimin.
Who can get his help in the future depends on who will win when they meet on a narrow road.
No matter how outstanding Li Shimin was, he was not the helmsman of the Li Tang Dynasty after all. Moreover, he often charged into battle and might die unexpectedly on the battlefield. It was hard to say who would win in the end between the Li Tang Dynasty and the Zhao State.
…
When Li Shimin returned victoriously and arrived in Chang'an City, the people of Chang'an, who already knew the outcome of the Battle of Qianshuiyuan, stood on both sides of the straight road to welcome the triumphant army.
"King Qin!"
"King Qin!"
The elite cavalry of the Tang Dynasty followed behind him with the clatter of foot. Luo Xuanye, dressed in bright armor, followed beside Li Shimin, his left hand always on his waist. In just a moment, he could draw his sword.
This was the first time that Li Shimin felt such direct feedback and praise on himself.
This time it is not the victory of the Tang Dynasty, but the victory of Li Shimin, the King of Qin of the Tang Dynasty!
His face was full of excitement. He liked the feeling of military victory. He couldn't help but tighten the reins in his hands. Bai Tiwu seemed to sense his emotions and slowed down.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see Li Yuan's joy. He made no effort to conceal his love for Li Shimin. Having a son who could charge into battle and had superb archery skills was Li Yuan's pride.
He patted Li Shimin on the shoulder, laughed and recalled to the ministers, "Looking back to the past, when I asked to marry Empress Taimu, I shot the peacock's eyes on the screen with two arrows.
The King of Qin’s archery skills now were taught by me personally!
If it weren't for the King of Qin, how heavy a loss would the Tang Dynasty suffer in this battle?"
The subsequent rewards and punishments for Liu Wenjing and others were put aside for the time being. Now Li Yuan only wanted to promote Li Shimin and use this incident to gradually let Li Shimin embark on the path of becoming the military commander of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Yuan himself was unwilling to go out to fight. He thought that he was a descendant of a noble family, so how could he go out to fight like previous monarchs, especially Liu Bang who had been fighting wars all his life. That was something he absolutely wanted to avoid.
Crown Prince Li Jiancheng is the foundation of the country. Fighting a war is too dangerous. It would be bad if an accident happened.
It would be better to leave the task of fighting for the Tang Dynasty to the remaining son, who is both trustworthy and capable.
For the battle to pacify Western Qin, Li Yuan rewarded Li Shimin with the title of Shangshu Ling of Yizhou Daoxingtai and General of the Right Guard, with the power to mobilize the palace troops.
…
After the celebration banquet in the palace, Luo Xuanye and Li Xiuning returned to Princess Pingyang's mansion. In the carriage, Li Xiuning pushed open his clothes in front of his chest and rolled up his wide sleeves, revealing his scars.
"Does it still hurt?"
She looked distressed, Luo Xuanye smiled and said: "It doesn't hurt, swords have no eyes on the battlefield, it's normal to get hurt, didn't my father grant me a thousand households of food and property?
Worth it! ”
Li Xiuning frowned slightly. With only a thousand households, she said unhappily, "When you return to Beijing this time, let's have a few more children, in case something really happens while you are fighting outside, and the title you fought so hard for will not be lost."
Li Xiuning wanted to leave offspring for Luo Xuanye, Luo Xuanye smiled and said, "Don't you have Rou'er?
Just pass the title of Duke of Zhou to her."
Li Xiuning said, "She will naturally have the title of Princess in the future. If I work hard, the title of Princess Pingyang can be passed on to her like the title of King. Your title of Duke of the Kingdom should still be passed on to other children.
how?
You don't want to touch me?"
Luo Xuanye immediately raised his hands and begged for mercy: "Madam, please forgive me, I will shut up and give birth to the child when I go back.
The Princess of Qin will host a banquet for us at the Prince of Qin's mansion tomorrow, so we need to return home quickly."
Li Xiuning then lay on Luo Xuanye's chest again, and no one knew what was in her mind.
…
The next day.
Luo Xuanye and Li Xiuning went to Prince Qin's residence together, and Prince Qin and his wife greeted them at the door.
The two were dressed in casual clothes. Li Shimin was still dignified. He was in high spirits when he returned to Chang'an. It can be seen from his full spirit that he is now in a period of rapid development.
Changsun stood quietly beside him. Luo Xuanye's evaluation of this woman was that she was as gentle as water, soft on the outside but strong on the inside, extremely demure, a beautiful and extremely charming woman. She was Li Shimin's best wife and could help him achieve great things, so he respected Changsun very much.
After getting off the carriage, Luo Xuanye bowed and said, "This humble servant greets the King of Qin and the Queen of Qin."
Li Shimin smiled and said, "Today is a family dinner, no need to be so formal."
Chang Sun said in a gentle voice: "Sister, brother-in-law, please come in. The mansion has already prepared wine and food."
The group walked into the mansion, and there was already a person in the hall, who was Changsun's brother Changsun Wuji, and also Li Shimin's most trusted civil servant in the Prince of Qin's mansion.
Today is indeed a family dinner, and Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and other civil officials trusted by Li Shimin are not here.
"Your humble servant Wuji greets the princess. May the princess be safe and sound, and may the Zhou Kingdom be safe."
Changsun Wuji is a somewhat arrogant person, but that depends on who he is treating. It is obvious that none of the four people in front of him can be arrogant to him.
Although Luo Xuanye and Changsun Wuji are both Li Shimin's men, this is the Wude Dynasty. When Luo Xuanye and Changsun Wuji compare their status, Luo Xuanye is giving face to Changsun Wuji.
Even though his relationship with Luo Xuanye was better than that with Li Shimin, Changsun Wuji did not dare to say that he could defeat Luo Xuanye.
After the five of them sat down, the nurse took the less than one-year-old Li Chengqian away, leaving only the five of them to drink. Li Shimin sipped his wine and said with emotion, "It has been two years since the Tang Dynasty started its war. Now, we have finally achieved real merit. Among the ministers, we can be revived without the help of the prince."
His emotion was quite obvious, and one could imagine how long he had been holding this matter in his heart. Luo Xuanye responded, "A true dragon walks above the nine heavens. Even if there are many clouds and mists, they can conceal the traces. The King of Qin has great power, and it will always be revealed. The country has just been established and the world is in chaos. There will be countless opportunities for him to make meritorious deeds in the future."
Li Shimin was happy whenever Luo Xuanye spoke, because he knew that Luo Xuanye was a man who would not tell lies, would not flatter, and would not read people's expressions. He praised him and respected him, so he was truly excellent. How could he not be happy?
Li Shimin immediately raised his glass and said: "Without Qingyang, this battle would not have been possible for me. Qingyang, you have made a great contribution in this battle.
After we recover Liang Province, my father has already planned to send troops to the Eastern Capital. By then, I may still be the marching marshal. Then we can go into battle together and we will surely defeat Wang Shichong or Li Mi."
Li Xiuning said calmly, "You just came down from the battlefield, your bodies haven't recovered yet, don't drink too much."
Li Xiuning's words were quite intimidating, even Li Shimin obeyed them. The two of them took a sip and started chatting, mostly about the current situation in Guandong. After all, anyone with a discerning eye could see that the next focus of Li Tang would be to go east and repeat the history of the Zhou, Qin and Han dynasties going out of Guanzhong to rule the world.
Li Xiuning was the Minister of Internal Affairs, the head of the three ministries. This position, like the Shangshu Zuo Pushe and Shizhong, was the prime minister. Naturally, she knew the most about military and national affairs. She introduced them to the others, "Now Wang Shichong and Li Mi are fighting each other.
However, there was internal strife in Wagang Camp. Li Mi killed Zhai Rang. Now Wagang Camp had begun to split. Wang Shichong had the opportunity and defeated Li Mi several times. Many powerful generals under Li Mi defected to Wang Shichong.
However, Wang Shichong is too suspicious, and as he gains the upper hand in the competition with Li Mi, I don't think he will be able to recover for long.
Many of Li Mi's generals have deserted, and his subordinates have become disloyal. The day of his defeat is not far away. No matter who is promoted or defeated, neither of these two will pose a threat to our Tang Dynasty.
The biggest threat to our Tang Dynasty is Dou Jiande in Hebei. Now, not only the ordinary people in Hebei obey Dou Jiande, but the great families in Hebei also support Dou Jiande. It is said that a son of the Luo family has also appeared in Dou Jiande's mansion. He has elite soldiers and generals, and his politics is clear.
In Hebei, some people have put him on par with Yuan Benchu and call him the God of Hebei.
My family is from Guanlong. As you all know, Hebei has always been dissatisfied with Guanlong. Dou Jiande is a local, which gave him an additional boost.
A very formidable opponent!"
Li Shimin frowned deeply when he heard this. He was actually on the same level as Yuan Benchu. The degree of his popularity was a little too terrifying. Moreover, there was a son of the Luo family entering officialdom?
Several people cast their eyes over, and Luo Xuanye said in a deep voice: "I have met Dou Jiande. He once said that he would rule the world with benevolence and righteousness, and our ancestors admired him very much.
If what Madam said just now is true, and he really governs Hebei with benevolence, then it is very likely that my brothers will enter officialdom.
The ruler chooses his subjects, and the subjects choose their ruler.
The criteria that the Luo family's children use to select a ruler include benevolence and love for the people. "
Li Shimin frowned and asked, "Qingyang, how are your brothers and other Luo clan members?"
Luo Xuanye recalled: "Among our generation, the most talented one is my third brother, Luo Xuanxing, who led the brave warriors of the Luo family to the south and eventually killed Yang Guang.
He is not my father's son, but my cousin and the next generation head of the Luo family.
Among this generation of Luo family, I am the strongest general who is invincible in fighting on horseback, lance or on foot and can defeat thousands of enemies.
The rest of my brothers are all brave warriors. During those years in the White Mountains and Black Waters, they have basically developed strong physiques, but none of them are as good as me.
In terms of governing, my sister Luo Xuanjing is excellent, but I don’t know how good the rest of the brothers are. I’m not good at this, so I can’t judge accurately, but they are definitely not bad.”
Li Shimin felt a headache starting to build because Luo Xuanye said that he was not good at it, but he did not think that Luo Xuanye was not good at it. Luo Xuanye just did not have quick wit in this regard and could not really carry it out.
Luo Xuanye is knowledgeable, and can raise questions and give advice. Luo Xuanye thinks this is not what he is good at, so what does it look like to be good at?
Li Shimin rubbed his head and asked, "Qingyang, is it possible to invite your brothers to come to our Tang Dynasty?
Our Tang Dynasty is eager to recruit talented people, and we should treat them with high positions!"
Luo Xuanye didn't know what to say. He couldn't say that he had already written a letter, but the ancestors had commented that Li Yuan was not good, and his brothers might not look down on him.
He thought for a moment and said, "My father's prestige has not yet spread far and wide, so my brothers don't know about the Tang Dynasty yet. I will write to them when I return and make it known to the Tang Dynasty."
Li Shimin actually understood!
This was probably due to some of the words that Luo Su had once said to him, which he still remembered.
Li Shimin knew in his heart that Luo Su looked down on his father, and that she married into the Li family because she liked his sister and taught him and his elder brother, showing that she valued him and his elder brother. He did not ask any more questions and did not make himself bored.
Seeing that the atmosphere at the table was somewhat solemn, Changsun said, "Miss Xuanjing stayed in Jiangnan and Young Master Xuanxing never married into her family. Now that she has a brother-in-law in the Tang Dynasty, she must be the essence of the Luo family. In the Tang Dynasty, this is a blessing. Let's drink a glass of wine."
Her light joke immediately changed the atmosphere at the table.
Li Xiuning added: "Recently, Li Gui of Xiliang has declared himself emperor without authorization. Father originally wanted to attack, but because he had just fought with Xue Ju, he could only wait for the time being. When the grain and grass in Shu are collected this season, I am afraid that you, Erlang, will have to go to war again.
Li Gui is nothing to be feared. He originally wanted to surrender to the Tang Dynasty, especially after the Tang Dynasty defeated Xue Ju, but he was instigated by his ministers to become emperor.
What needs to be cautious is that the Western Turks are ready to move eastward into the Central Plains. If Li Gui and the Western Turks join forces, a powerful opponent will appear in the west.
We can only hold Longshan Mountain and prevent them from entering Guanzhong, but it will be difficult to spy on Hexi for the time being."
Western Turkic.
This force is different from the Winter Turks. The Winter Turks are traditional grassland Hu people who have been fighting back and forth with the Central Plains. Now Liu Wuzhou is still flirting with the Turks, but the Western Turks are different.
They had entered the Western Regions a long time ago and were completely different from the Winter Turks. Religiously speaking, they had now converted.
Those Turks who once wielded sabers have become "Westernized Turks". They used to wield sabers to rob things, but now they rob things out of their belief in the Suwang.
This made the Western Turks very difficult to deal with.
Li Shimin had already begun to simulate how he would deal with Li Gui and the Western Turks in the future, unconsciously drawing the mountains, rivers and cities.
…
While Luo Xuanye and others were discussing the Western Turks, a great debate was also breaking out in the Western Turkic royal court. This was a debate about whether to attack westward, eastward, or go back north to fight the Winter Turks.
There are naturally three groups of people who hold these three theories.
Needless to say, it was the Han people in the Western Regions who called for the eastward march into the Central Plains. "The Su King was born in the Central Plains. Although there is a Su King Temple in our Western Regions, the Su King's mausoleum is located in Guanzhong Tianfu. If you don't pay homage to the Su King's final resting place, how can you say that you have obtained the Su King's true spirit?
Go east and capture Chang'an, there pray to the King of Su to grant you honor, and let the high priest of the temple crown you, then you will be the Supreme Khan, the Khan among the Khans. "
At the end of this sentence, the Han Chinese Liu who spoke used the word "Khan" in Turkic to stimulate the monarch on the throne.
Sure enough, this trick worked very well. Ashina Sai's eyes lit up instantly. He was obsessed with the classics of the Suwang Temple. He was so obsessed that the temple was now almost entirely made of gold and gems.
Upon seeing this scene, some nobles who had just escaped from the Winter Turks were unwilling to do so. They shouted in Turkish: "Great Khan, we are the descendants of Changshengtian and the sons of the grassland. We should defeat the Winter Turks, dominate the grassland, and then enter the Central Plains. If we enter the Central Plains now, they will only call us Hu people.
The letter we sent to Liangzhou a few days ago has already been replied by the monarch of Liang. He called you a barbarian and said he would never submit to you. "
Ashina Sai was furious. He stood up from the throne, his cloak adorned with gold and gems jingling, and he shouted something that no one expected.
"He is the Hu people! He is the son of a bitch!"
After cursing in a rather angry tone, Ashina Sai roared again: "This Khan is the holy Khan crowned by the high priest of the Suwang Temple, the king of kings!
hateful!
This Khan will go to the temple to curse him and pray to the Su Wang Shang Huang Tian. If the Su Wang Shang Huang Tian is angry, this Khan will mobilize all the people of the Khanate to let this Li Gui know what the king's anger is! "
The last faction was completely dumbfounded. They hadn't even said a word yet, so why was the Khan going to attack eastwards? These grassland people were really useless. They were always causing trouble and could not do anything helpful. They were doomed now.
Ashina Sai hated it most when people said he was a Hu person. Judging from his facial features, he did not look like a Hu person at all.
His grandfather was of mixed Hu and Han descent, and his grandmother and mother were both from prominent Han families in the Western Regions, the Liu and Zhao families.
He had only one eighth of Turkic blood in his body, and given the education he received since childhood, his mother took him to the temple to worship since he was young. How could he bear being called a Hu person?
The Western Regions are completely different from the Central Plains, which is something that people in the Central Plains are not aware of. Many things that are not a big deal in the Central Plains are enough to cost lives in the Western Regions.
The most fatal thing is probably slandering King Su. There are many people in the Central Plains who do not believe in King Su, and many people even openly question him, as if they were cursing God. But in the Western Regions, this is against the law and is a capital punishment. People who do not understand this cannot rule the Western Regions.
Li Gui of Xiliang Kingdom would never have thought that just a little talk of his would lead to an attack from the Western Turks.
If he knew, he would definitely say, "The royal court is 3,000 miles away from Liangzhou. Are you crazy to attack Liangzhou?"
Ashina Sai was ready to drive the cattle and sheep out, and he would soon let Li Gui know the consequences of insulting the fanatics.
…
After leaving Prince Qin's Mansion, Luo Xuanye exhaled the smell of alcohol lightly. He calculated the time and felt that it was almost time for the letter he had sent to his brothers to have results.
Although Li Xiuning is a very career-oriented woman, she is not incapable of taking care of others. She reached out and massaged Luo Xuanye's temples to relieve his fatigue.
After the two returned to the mansion, they started trying to have a baby again. Li Xiuning thought that Luo Xuanye might be going to war again soon, so she did not stop for a moment and tried to get pregnant during his return.
As a child with the stigmata, Li Xiuning hopes to have more children, and Luo Su also hinted this to her at the beginning.
Luo Xuanye's prediction was not wrong. As expected, when the time came for reply to the letters he sent out, the first one to arrive was Luo Xuanjing's letter. Letters could be sent from Jiangnan to Guanzhong by water, so the route was very fast.
In the letter, Luo Xuanjing seriously described his current situation and explained the reasons why he and Luo Jingcheng could not go to Guanzhong.
This made Luo Xuanye feel a little emotional, but he agreed with Luo Xuanjing's statement.
Although he felt a little regretful that he could not meet his sister and brother-in-law, he burned the letter after reading it.
It is better not to spread these reasons. After all, we still have to submit to the Tang Dynasty in the future, so we should not show our disloyalty.
But what surprised him was that just after he burned the letter, his retainer hurried into the house and reported to him: "Sir, the fourth and sixth sons are outside the mansion."
"What?!"
Luo Xuanye was surprised and delighted, "Quick, please come in!"
(End of this chapter)
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