Dou Gui said goodbye first. Dugu Huaien ordered his son Dugu Weiming to take him out, but he hurried to the backyard and came to a quiet room. He respectfully reported: "Head of the family, I am Huaien."

"Come in!"

Dugu Zhen's voice came from the room, but it was not as weak as sick, and the voice was still loud. When Dugu Huai'en entered the door, he saw Dugu Zhen sitting on the couch reading a book, looking at him with a smile.

Dugu Huaien knelt down in a hurry and bowed, "Waien pays homage to the head of the family!"

Dugu Zhen was just pretending to be sick. At this critical moment, as the head of the Dugu family, he did not want to show up. The best way was to calm down and let Dugu Huaien act on behalf of the family to external activities, while he was behind the scenes.[

"Has Dou Gui left?" Dugu Zhen asked.

"He has left. He reported to the head of the family that Dou Guilai had obtained a petition and persuaded Li Jiancheng to surrender. More than 100 officials have signed the signatures, and he hopes we will also sign it."

Dugu Zhen shook his head and sighed: "His prince ascended the throne last night. He petitioned for surrender today. How could Li Jiancheng feel? He is too eager to make contributions."

"But my nephew saw that the five prime ministers had signed two of them on the petition, and there was another Pei Ji. My nephew was just a little surprised. Why did he wait for more than 100 people to come to us before signing?"

Dugu Zhen sneered coldly, "If I guessed correctly, Dou Rui's name should be the first, Pei Ji is the second, right!"

Dugu Huaien thought for a while and nodded, "That's true. Dou Gui's name has the first big character on it. As the leader, the first small character below is Pei Ji, and the next twenty consecutive ones are Guanlong nobles."

"That's right. Dou Gui is now a manifestation of his thoughts. He wants to be the leader of the Guanlong nobles, persuade the Tang Dynasty to surrender and become a hero, and then occupy a high position in the new dynasty. He is very worried about his thoughts, and I can see through it."

Dugu Huaien bit his lip. "The head of the family...what should we do with our Dugu family?"

Dugu Zhen glanced at him quickly and asked without saying a word: "What do you want?"

Dugu Huai'en lowered his head and seemed a little timid. In fact, he understood the meaning of the head of the family and tried to be as low-key as possible. It was as good as possible to speak. But he did not agree with low-key in his heart. He hoped to maintain the influence of the Dugu family, and he did not want the Dou family to dominate. This would affect the Dugu family's status in the new dynasty. To be precise, it was his Dugu Huai'en's status. He felt very uncomfortable, but he did not dare to object. Today, Dou Gui brought a petition and realized that the Dugu family was lagging behind.

He could no longer help, so he plucked up the courage to say, "The head of the family does not want to be the leader of the Guanlong nobles. My nephew can understand it, but my nephew thinks that we don't have to be so low-key. We should do everything, otherwise we will really have no status in the Xin Dynasty."

Dugu Zhen looked at this nephew calmly, and an indescribable disappointment surged in his heart. Originally, Dugu Huaien would be the next head of the family. But at this moment, he seemed to smell a burnt smell on Dugu Huaien. He is still so frivolous and shallow. Can the head of the family be handed over to him?

Dugu Zhen sighed in his heart and explained patiently to him: "The reason why the Dugu family is low-key is not because they are ineffective. We have had secret contact with Yang Yuanqing three times, and we have high-ranking officials in the Sui Dynasty. We have done everything we should do. At this time, don't be too anxious to charm the Sui Dynasty. This will make people feel that our unfaithfulness to the old dynasty will make Yang Yuanqing look down on us. Look at the Wei family, Du family, Su family, and Guanzhong gentry. How many of these Guanzhong gentry jumped out to show themselves? Huai'en, our eyes should be long-term. We must make Yang Yuanqing respect the Dugu family, so we should not do some things that are inappropriate, and we would rather listen silently."

"But...at least we must let Yang Yuanqing know that the Dugu family exists!" Dugu Huaien could not accept the plan that he would rather hear silently.

Dugu Zhen was extremely disappointed. After talking for a long time, he didn't understand at all. He wanted to show off his own attention. Dugu Zhen became annoyed. It seemed that Dugu Liang's suggestion was right. Dugu Lei was more suitable to be the head of the Dugu family, which was much better than this shallow Dugu Huaien.

But he still restrained his dissatisfaction and pondered: "Okay! There are many hungry people outside now, and the Dugu family will provide relief to the people, and the Dugu family will exist."

Dugu Huaien was extremely disappointed. What he wanted was the same as the Dou family, rather than the meaningless thing like the help of the people. "Can the head of the family..."

"Bad!"

Dugu Zhen finally became furious and slapped the table hard, "I am not allowed to talk back on what I have decided. Go to help the people quickly and take out all the stored grains to help the people. If you don't do it, I will let others do it!"[

Dugu Huaien had never seen the head of the family get so angry that he was so scared that he dared not speak anymore. He retreated tremblingly. He did not dare to be negligent and quickly arranged for his family to prepare porridge relief. The head of the family ordered that all the grain be taken out to help the people, and at least twenty porridge sheds should be built. You should know that the Dugu family's treasury has tens of thousands of stones of food.

Dugu Zhen looked out in a dim light. He didn't know how Dugu Huaien was so stupid. If he had no vision, he would stabilize the people of Chang'an for Yang Yuanqing. This would be a great contribution.

......

At noon the next day, the 100,000 troops on the western front, led by Pei Renji and Sheng Yan's troops, arrived outside the southern city of Chang'an and began to set up a camp. One hour later, Yang Yuanqing led the main force of 80,000 troops to the west city of Chang'an. Together with Cheng Yaojin's 10,000 front troops, and 340,000 Sui troops surrounded Chang'an City.

The setting sun on the city is so sad, and the long horns are blew at the top of Chang'an City, full of sad sounds. Tens of thousands of defenders looked outside the city and saw the elusive camp outside the city. The shock of this army besieging the city made every soldier feel desperate. At this time, even if Li Jiancheng comes to appease the morale of the army again, it will be helpful.

In the military camp, Yang Yuanqing listened to the reports of Li Jing and Pei Renji. At this time, Pei Renji bowed and smiled and said, "I have captured Changsun Ji at Dazhen Pass. Can Your Highness see him?"

"Is he willing to surrender?" Yang Yuanqing asked.

Pei Inji shook his head, "I have advised him, but he refused to surrender. Maybe His Highness will tell him that it will be different."

Yang Yuanqing nodded, "Bring him up!"

After a moment, several soldiers brought the tied Changsun Ji into the tent. Changsun Ji led 10,000 troops to resist the 100,000 Sui troops on the western front at Dazhen Pass, but because his generals offered the pass, the army quickly defeated. Changsun Ji disguised himself as a merchant and fled and was recognized by the Sui army and arrested.

Yang Yuanqing glanced at Changsun Ji and ordered his side to "release him!"

The soldiers undressed Changsun Ji, and Changsun Ji stood up and ignored Yang Yuanqing. Yang Yuanqing said lightly: "You are not a special person. The reason why you are treated preferentially is because of your father. I have a deep friendship with your father. I don't want to kill his son. Surrender! I will give you the position of prefect of a county."

Changsun Ji felt that Yang Yuanqing had no intention of bullying him. He sighed and bowed, "My father also told me that your future achievements will be extraordinary. But he didn't expect that he would achieve this. Thank you for your kindness. If you can remember your father's old love, please let me serve the people."

"Are you going to find Li Shimin?"

Changsun Ji shook his head, "I don't know where His Highness King Qin went? Since the Tang Dynasty has been defeated, and the fate between them has ended, I have no need to follow him. If I do not surrender to the Sui Dynasty, I will give him the final explanation. Please help him."

Yang Yuanqing pondered for a moment, then ordered his personal soldiers to "give him five hundred taels of gold and let him go."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Changsun Ji bowed and said goodbye and left. Yang Yuanqing looked at his back as he walked away. He felt a little regretful and couldn't help but shake his head. This person is indeed talented, but unfortunately he is not used by him.

At this time, another soldier reported outside the tent, "Report to Your Highness. General Cheng brought more than a dozen county magistrates to seek a visit outside the camp, all of whom were the county magistrates of Jingzhao Prefecture."

Yang Yuanqing was stunned. What was Cheng Yaojin doing? He thought for a while and said, "Summon Cheng Yaojin first."

Soon, Cheng Yaojin came to the big tent, and he felt a little nervous. Although he grabbed the Jinsuo Pass and entered Guanzhong from the Tongguan Road, he had been in Guanzhong for nearly ten days and did not make any great contributions. Li Shimin did not withdraw his troops because of his entry into Guanzhong, and he could not conquer Chang'an.

However, he had to lead the army, and each county forced the magistrate to surrender to the county magistrate, forcing more than a dozen counties in a row, and then brought these magistrates to Yang Yuanqing for credit. He didn't know what contribution he could make this time and what reward he received?[

This time, Cheng Yaojin respectfully knelt down on one knee, clasped his fists and said, "I am not good at stating that Cheng Yaojin handed over to His Highness!"

Yang Yuanqing couldn't help laughing. This guy has always been standing like a stand, sitting like a sit, and even a bow is a rude thing. How come he became so serious today?

"It's better if you hand over the order! Why do you bring a group of county magistrates here? Is this the order I gave you?"

Cheng Yaojin's black face swollen into a purple face, and said, "It's not that I want to bring them here, it's that they pester me. I must bring them to pay homage to Your Highness, otherwise they will jump into the river and commit suicide. I have no choice."

Yang Yuanqing burst into laughter, and the personal soldiers next to him couldn't help but turn their heads and cover their mouths and laugh. Yang Yuanqing nodded and ordered: "Take the county magistrate in first, let them rest for a while, and see them again later."

After saying that, Yang Yuanqing ordered his personal soldiers to come and said, "Take that black horse!"

The personal soldiers brought a war horse that was all over the dark, which was the one that Cheng Yaojin liked from the war horses offered by the Uighurs. Yang Yuanqing walked out of the tent, patted the war horse, and smiled at Cheng Yaojin: "This time you seize the bronze official road and sweep Guanzhong, you have made great contributions, and this horse will reward you."

If it were usual, Cheng Yaojin would have cheered and jumped forward to lead the horse, but today he didn't want it. He glanced at the war horse. Although he wanted this black horse very much, he still wanted something more. He lowered his head and whispered: "Your Highness... I don't want this horse. I can reward other soldiers. Can I just give me a title?"

Yang Yuanqing burst into laughter. It turned out that this kid wanted a title.

He nodded and smiled and said, "You have made achievements and you can be promoted to the title of Duke of the County. However, next year I plan to let Li Jing destroy Goryeo, and you can also follow him to fight in Goryeo. As long as you can make achievements in Goryeo, I will appoint you as Duke of Lu."

Cheng Yaojin was overjoyed. He quickly forgot what he had said just now. He took the reins and patted the horse's long face. He smiled and couldn't even close his mouth. "Your Highness's reward, how dare you not want the humble position? But... How did your Highness know that I like this horse?"
Chapter completed!