Li Shimin's first reaction upon seeing the letter was that he had been insulted by that rebellious grandson!
What does it mean to be wise all your life but foolish for a moment?
Isn't this just calling yourself an idiot?
Li Jing and Yuchi Jingde glanced at the paper secretly and, seeing that the contents involved the matter of the crown prince, immediately turned their heads away, pretending that they hadn't seen anything.
After a moment of anger, Li Shimin addressed Hu Delu.
How long has he been gone?
"It's been about two hours, hasn't it?"
Did he say where he was going?
"He said he'd go to the Western Regions to take a look, and then come back in a few years..."
"well!"
Li Shimin's worst fears came true: his eldest grandson ran away with those Turks.
Li Shimin mounted his horse, asked Li Jue which road he had taken, and immediately rode after him.
Li Jing and Yuchi Jingde followed closely behind Li Shimin for a while before they stopped him.
"Your Majesty, we must not pursue them any further!"
"His Majesty's entourage hasn't followed. If we rashly pursue them, we could easily fall into an enemy ambush!"
"enemy?"
"I have no enemies within the territory of the Great Tang!"
"Your Majesty, there are many merchants traveling to and from the Western Regions on this road. Many of these merchants are actually bandits in disguise. They rob if they can, and only do legitimate business if they can't rob!"
"well!"
"What should I do? Am I supposed to just watch my eldest grandson run off to the Turks?"
Li Jing smiled slightly upon hearing this.
"Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king."
"The Western Turks have only managed to survive thanks to the Tang Dynasty, and their Khan was established because of Your Majesty. Your Majesty only needs to write a letter, and the Western Turks will naturally send the people back!"
"I hereby issue an order to send an envoy with my imperial decree to demand the return of my eldest grandson!"
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
"The Western Turks rely on the Tang Dynasty, but they are also wary of it. Once they find out that your eldest grandson is in their hands, it's hard to say whether they will hand him over willingly. If they give your eldest grandson to the Xueyantuo, our Tang Dynasty will be in a passive position!"
Li Shimin, upon hearing this, angrily questioned him.
"What exactly do you want me to do?!"
"Your Majesty, haven't you heard the story of Baili Xi?"
"When Baili Xi was stranded in the State of Chu, Duke Mu of Qin used five sheepskins to exchange for him under the pretext of capturing a fugitive!"
"You mean to say..."
"Your Majesty could also follow the example of the ancients and say that Li Zhong is a fugitive, order the Western Turks to hand him over, and then reward the Western Turks with a pasture..."
"this……"
...
As Li Jue exited Yumen Pass, he saw Turkic soldiers who came to greet him.
Yi Pi She Kui was among this group of people. When he learned that his best friend was coming to help him, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep for several days.
"My good brother, I've missed you so much, hahaha!"
A year later, Li Jue saw this familiar face again and a happy smile appeared on his face.
"Good brother, I miss you too!"
"I never imagined that you would actually become the Khan of the Western Turks!"
Yi Pi She Kui smiled and waved his hand upon hearing this.
"luck!"
"If it weren't for the benevolence of His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, I would never have been chosen to be the Khan!"
"Oh, by the way, let me introduce you. This is my regent, Wu Nushibi!"
"If it weren't for him explaining the situation to the Emperor of Tang, I wouldn't have become the Khan!"
Upon hearing this, Li Jue bowed respectfully to Wu Nushibi.
"Greetings, Regent!"
"This is Mr. Wulichuo. I was able to become Khan thanks in large part to Mr. Wulichuo!"
"This junior greets Mr. Wulichuo!"
After introducing his two most capable ministers, Yi Pi She Kui happily took Li Jue's hand and asked.
“Friend, our Western Turks are not like the Great Tang Dynasty; life is very difficult. If you regret it now, it's not too late!”
"But once you come with me to the Winter Capital, it will be difficult for you to return to the Tang Dynasty, hahaha!"
Upon hearing this, Li Jue smiled confidently.
"I'm not afraid of hardship, I'm just afraid you'll kick me out!"
Upon hearing this, Yi Pi She Kui immediately put on a stern face and said seriously.
"I, Yipi Shekui, swear to Heaven that if I ever betray my good friend Shi Dakai in this life, may I die with ten thousand arrows piercing my heart!"
"Don't worry, Shi Dakai, I will protect you with my life and never let you suffer any harm in the Turkic lands!"
Li Jue smiled bitterly upon hearing this.
"What if the Tang Dynasty asks you to send me back?"
"this……"
Yi Pi She Kui was dumbfounded when he heard this, because he had never thought about this question before.
After all, Shi Dakai was just a child like himself. Even if the Tang Dynasty was in a bad state, it wouldn't let him send a child back, would it?
"Friend, did you cause trouble in the Tang Dynasty that led you to seek refuge in our Western Turkic Khaganate?"
Li Jue nodded upon hearing this.
"yes!"
“My dear friend, I cannot hide this from you. The crimes I committed in the Tang Dynasty are very serious, and I will not blame you if you have any concerns!”
"this……"
Upon hearing this, Yi Pi She Kui hesitated on the spot, and Wu Li Chuo and Wu Nu Shi Bi behind him also showed worried expressions.
The Western Turks could do anything in the Western Regions except disobey the Tang emperor's orders or do anything that would harm the Tang Dynasty.
Therefore, upon hearing that Li Jue had caused trouble in the Tang Dynasty, the two immediately tried to persuade the Khan to send him back to the Tang Dynasty.
Before the two could even speak, Yi Pi She Kui firmly stated.
“Friend, you don’t need to say anything more. I have sworn to God that I will protect you with my life as long as you come to my territory!”
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