Chapter 933: Taking Tongguan

People in high positions often display some cold and ruthless characteristics.

But this is actually a status, or a characteristic brought about by a position, and has little to do with them personally.

Because when you reach a certain level, you often need to make a choice between two options.

For example, now, if Li Yun wants to solve the hidden dangers of the Hedong Army once and for all, then he must acquiesce to Su Sheng to do some relatively cruel things.

He watched the Hedong Army and the Shuofang Army both suffer heavy losses, and watched the Hedong Army be crippled.

It’s not that Li is unjust, but he has to make a choice between his current reputation and future peace.

If, by any chance, the Hedong Army retains its strength and causes trouble again in the future, more people will die and more troubles will occur.

If you are a little ruthless now, maybe you can avoid a hidden danger. This is not unkindness, but great kindness!

However, now that Li Hao had personally written a letter to “beg”, with this letter in hand, Li Yun could no longer pretend to be completely ignorant, otherwise it would be unreasonable.

This is the natural choice made by a ruler.

As for the hidden dangers in Hedong Road, we can just focus on other things and eliminate them.

When Du Qian heard Li Yun’s “I’m sorry”, he was startled at first, then looked at Li Yun and said with a smile: “Your Majesty is getting more and more…”

He paused and did not continue.

What he actually wanted to say was that Li Yun was becoming more and more like an emperor, but Li Yun was already an emperor, and saying that he was “like” an emperor was actually extremely disrespectful.

Although Lord Du knew that the current Li Yun would never bother with him about these words and might even make a few jokes with him, but there was a difference between the emperor and his subjects, so Lord Du finally endured it.

Li Yun looked at him and asked with a smile: “What am I becoming more and more?”

Du Qian smiled and replied, “Your Majesty is becoming more and more mysterious.”

Upon hearing this, Emperor Li smiled dumbly: “Brother Shouyi is saying that I am unpredictable.”

“I don’t mean that.”

Du Qian bowed his head slightly and said, “Your Majesty, that is exactly what should be done. Your Majesty is indeed the chosen one of heaven. You have already mastered the art of being an emperor without a teacher.”

Li Yun shook his head and said, “The art of the emperor, this is not a good thing to say.”

He looked at Du Qian, paused, and said with a smile: “I haven’t really changed much, but in this position, no matter what happens, I have to consider it from the perspective of national interests.”

He looked at Du Qian and said seriously, “The country I’m talking about is not my Li Dynasty, nor is it my Li family. Brother Shouyi, can you understand?”

“I can certainly understand.”

Du Qian smiled and said, “The country has just been established, and the whole world needs peace and stability. Now, to protect the court is to protect the country.”

He looked up at Li Yun and said seriously, “It will be like this for the next one hundred years, two hundred years.”

Minister Du paused and continued, “Your Majesty, even during the Xiande years when the government was corrupt, the people lived much better than during the Zhaoding years.”

“Brother Shouyi, what you said is insulting.”

Li Yun shook his head and stopped arguing with him.

Du Qian looked up at Li Yun and said with a smile: “The Holy Son of Heaven came to the world and took over the divine weapon for the sake of the world. Your Majesty does not need to think too much about these details.”

Li Yun just said “hmm” and didn’t say much.

As a different soul, he hates the thoughts of most people in this world, which are naturally a little different.

However, he was also very clear that the system should serve productivity.

This era is an imperial era, which requires a new dynasty and a new emperor.

Then it was natural for him to become the new emperor and establish a new dynasty.

The most he can do is to do as well as possible despite the limitations of the generation and productivity.

Du Qian lowered his head and thought for a while, then looked at Li Yun and asked, “Your Majesty, the siege of Guanzhong has basically been completed. Your Majesty, how many months do you think it will take to take Guanzhong?”

“There shouldn’t be any big obstacles.”

Emperor Li looked up outside the palace and said calmly, “The Wei family and their son no longer have any will to fight, and the same is true for the Shuofang army. The difficulty now is that I don’t want them to just run away like this.”

“We must use these Shuofang troops to show the people of the world the majesty of the new dynasty.”

Emperor Li looked at Du Qian and said with a smile: “Let them know that I, Li Er, am not a pushover.”

Du Qian bowed his head and said “Sage”, then he said: “Your Majesty, Guanzhong has been bullied by many forces for nearly ten years. Now the entire Guanzhong has almost become a wasteland. After the court takes back Guanzhong, it needs to send a capable official to restore the economy and people’s livelihood in Guanzhong.”

“I also ask Your Majesty to exempt Guanzhong from taxes for three years…”

Li Yun looked at Du Qian and said with a smile: “Brother Shouyi really has deep feelings for his hometown.”

He touched his chin and said, “Three years of tax exemption should be no problem, but I don’t have a suitable candidate to be sent to govern Guanzhong.” Du Qian seemed to have thought about this matter a long time ago. He said, “Your Majesty, Xue Guozhang can go.”

He looked at Li Yun and continued, “Mr. Xue is only in his fifties, not yet sixty, and is fully qualified for this job. Moreover, Mr. Xue’s qualifications, prestige, and status are all sufficient.”

Li touched his chin and said, “My father-in-law has never been to Guanzhong.”

“Don’t worry about that, Your Majesty.”

Du Qian said, “After all, Guanzhong Capital was the capital of the old Zhou Dynasty. After Guanzhong Capital is recovered, Your Majesty… Your Majesty should go to the capital to take a look. As long as Your Majesty goes to the capital, the officials in Guanzhong will have corresponding candidates.”

“For more than two hundred years, there has been a shortage of officials everywhere in the world.”

“Only Guanzhong is not lacking.”

Li Yun was stunned for a moment, then he understood what Du Qian meant.

What he meant was that as long as Xue Song went there, he would just have to take the title of being in charge. There were plenty of people in Guanzhong who could do the actual work.

Mr. Li touched his chin, thought for a while, and asked, “What about the Dali Temple of the imperial court?”

“The Shaoqing will take charge of this matter. If there are any major issues, you can consult the Zhongshu.”

Li Yun thought seriously for a long time before he sighed and said, “I need to discuss this matter with my father-in-law.”

Du Qian smiled when he heard this, then bowed his head slightly and said, “Your Majesty, I have a request.”

Li Yun looked at him and said with a smile: “Brother Shouyi also wants to go to Guanzhong Capital?”

“Yes.”

Du Qian bowed his head and said, “When your Majesty goes to Guanzhong, can you take me with you…”

“I want to go back to the capital of Guanzhong and take a look at Anrenfang…”

His voice had already dropped a little.

The Jingzhao Du family in Anrenfang, Beijing, was originally a series of well-known names.

Today, the former Jingzhao Du family has disappeared completely.

Today’s Du family should be referred to as the Jinling Du family and the Luoyang Du family.

It is the new flower that bloomed from the ashes of the old Du family.

However, after being appointed as the governor of Yuezhou, Du Jia Shiyilang, who had left the capital on horseback overnight and was already middle-aged, still wanted to go back and take a look.

Take a look at the place where he grew up.

Li Yun glanced at him and said with a smile: “Brother Shouyi is the head of all officials. As long as you can arrange the political affairs properly, we brothers will go to Guanzhong together.”

“I can be considered to have accompanied you, my brother Shouyi, and returned home in glory.”

Du Qian bowed his head deeply, thanked him, then looked down at his official uniform, sighed, and said with a wry smile: “It’s true that I am now well-dressed.”

“My hometown has fallen into ruin.”

……………

Outside Tongguan.

Ten cannons have been pushed in front of the city gate.

Su Sheng touched a few cannons in his hands, then looked up at Tongguan with a burning gaze.

Qian Zhong stood behind him, somewhat curious.

“General, what are these?”

Su Sheng looked back at him and said with a smile: “Just think of it as a catapult.”

Artillery was once top secret in the Jiangdong Group. For a long time, only two generals, Su Sheng and Zhao Cheng, knew about it. At this time, it would take too much time to explain it to Qian Zhong.

Su Sheng looked at Tongguan and said in a deep voice, “After the drums are beaten, the vanguard army will charge forward on their own. Don’t worry about the enemy’s crossbows on the Tongguan wall. I will be in the rear, providing cover with the artillery and catapults.”

“When the cannons sound, just charge forward. When the cannons stop, set up ladders to attack the city.”

Qian Zhong hesitated for a moment and asked, “General, what is your method of attack?”

Su Sheng took a deep breath, raised his head and looked towards Tongguan with a burning gaze.

“Just think of us as…”

“We must take Tongguan today.”

(End of this chapter)