"The general meets the general." In Pyongyang City, Lu Ke finally saw Li Jing, who had been away for a long time. Li Jing's face was still as red as before, but Lu Ke still felt a hint of exhaustion in his eyes. Come to think of it.

It was caused by heavy military fatigue.

"Your Highness, there is no need to be polite." Li Jing nodded, but did not stand up to greet him. He just said lightly: "I have a leg problem and it is inconvenient for me to get up. Please forgive me, Your Highness..."

"The old general has worked hard for our country and the country of the Tang Dynasty, so he is like this. After becoming a member of the clan, he felt very ashamed. How dare he let the general greet him." Lu Ke sighed slightly in his heart and said quickly.

"You came just in time. You will return to Beijing with me tomorrow!" Li Jing nodded and said, "Your Majesty shows mercy to Li Jing, that's why you let me return to Beijing! If I don't return to Beijing, I'm afraid I will never have the chance to see Your Majesty alive again.

.…”

"The general is getting stronger and stronger, how can he say such a thing?

..." Lu Ke's face tightened and he quickly tried to dissuade him.

"Haha! I know my body myself..." Li Jing didn't care, waved his hand with a smile, and said: "What I didn't expect was that His Highness the King of Shu actually dared to venture into Qingzhou City and persuade him to

He killed Jin Shengman, Yan Yi and others, allowing our army to successfully invade Gyeongju City. It’s really a hero born in a boy!"

"General, is it right for the lonely king to do that?" Lu Ke suddenly knew that his every move must be hidden from Li Jing's eyes, so he did not dare to neglect and asked quickly.

"Whether it is right or wrong is not decided by you or me, but by His Majesty." Li Jing looked at Lu Ke with a deep look in his eyes and said: "The King of Shu Renyi, everyone in the capital understands this truth, but

Your Highness, if you are of the same generation as His Majesty, or other princes in the clan, it would not matter, but you are of the same generation as His Highness the Crown Prince. "The more outstanding Your Highness is, the more disadvantageous it will be for His Highness!"

"The lonely prince just wants to be a leisurely prince and has no other thoughts..." Lu Ke's expression changed and he quickly lowered his head and said. There was a trace of resentment in his words.

Li Jing sighed deeply and said: "Your Highness is brave and courageous, and he will do what he says. I think these words are also the true words of His Highness. To be honest, even I don't agree with His Highness succeeding to the position of Prince of the East Palace. His Highness himself is like this now

Think about it, that is naturally the best. "His Majesty will definitely be happy if he knows."

"General" Gu Wang really didn't understand that the current prince was nothing more than him, and Gu Wang was not as good as him, but why were there so many people opposed to Li Gu when he was established as the crown prince? In the end, Prince Zhang Huai was chosen.

Prince, is the lonely king much worse than Prince Zhang Huai? Or, does the father really care about his identity as his legitimate son?..." Lu Ke suddenly raised his head and asked. Apparently he was unwilling to accept that he could not defeat Prince Zhang Huai back then.

Lu Chengzu.

"Haha! I'm afraid this matter has been bothering you for a long time!" Li Jing said with a smile. His eyes were full of wisdom. He looked at Lu Ke as if he could see through his mind.

"Not bad..." Lu Ke nodded without hiding it.

"Back then, I was just a surrendered general who was favored by Your Majesty. When His Majesty was marching across the pass, I didn't have many soldiers and horses, but apart from the cavalry, I had all the soldiers and horses in my hands. Now I'm a general. I'm watching.

Look at Ju Wenju, Sir! I personally captured him back then. Although he had a small reputation in Jiangnan, once he entered the Tang Dynasty, he could only be an ordinary light red official. But because of His Majesty, he was no more

In more than ten years, he has become a chief minister. There are more than ten thousand people under one person. There are other officials, many of whom are from poor families. But they have become the pillars of the imperial court..." Li Jing seems to be

As if he was recalling something, a smile appeared on his face and he said: "Your Highness does not care about the difference in family status when employing people. As long as the person has talent, he can use it. Your Highness believes that if Your Majesty wants to establish a prince, he will also appoint those who only have status."

A prince without talent can serve as a prince?"

"What about Prince Zhang Huai?" Lu Ke was still a little dissatisfied.

"Prince Zhanghuai is an exception." Li Jing explained calmly: "When the prince was established, the Turkic army marched outside Chang'an City, and Chang'an City was broken. It was not enough to resist the Turkic army. Although His Majesty had devised a plan, it was not complete.

Guaranteed, that's why he established the crown prince. Otherwise, His Majesty would not have established the crown prince at that time. As for why he established the crown prince instead of His Highness, this is better explained. Because there was no one available for His Highness at that time.

Although he has the blood of the royal families of two dynasties, there is no one available around him. This is the most important thing. Looking at Prince Zhanghuai again, because of Cui Renshi, all the Guandong families are at the disposal of Prince Zhanghuai. Once Chang'an City is breached

, naturally someone took Prince Zhang Huai to Luoyang to inherit the throne. Your Highness knows better than me what kind of place Luoyang is. It was the center of the Guandong family back then. Think about it, Your Highness, if His Majesty makes His Highness the prince, the Guandong family will

Are you willing to assist His Highness? Obviously not, so Your Majesty had no choice but to appoint Prince Zhang Huai. In fact, Prince Zhang Huai is not a stupid person, but he is too soft-hearted and relies too much on the aristocratic family. In the future,

If he were allowed to inherit the position of emperor, he would definitely not be a blessing to the imperial court, so he would be deposed by His Majesty. Haha! However, if His Highness were the Crown Prince, I am afraid he would also be deposed at this moment, because His Highness can be a general and a commander-in-chief.

, but you can never be an emperor." Hu Legs.

"Why?..." Lu Ke asked dissatisfied.

"Because His Highness has a strong personality..." Li Jing pointed out Lu Ke's weakness and said: "Although the emperor looks very beautiful, only the emperor knows the pain. The emperor has to endure loneliness.

You have to endure betrayal and be ruthless. His Highness has a strong personality and is not a good emperor. Once he encounters something shady, he will make irrational decisions. But he doesn’t know how to solve it in the best way.

This matter. This is also the main reason why Your Majesty did not choose His Highness as the Crown Prince after Prince Zhang Huai was deposed. Your Highness, what would you do if you found out that one of your cronies had betrayed you?..."

"Huh, of course I'll kill him soon." Lu Ke said without thinking. But soon Jun's face turned red with embarrassment. Li Jing was still saying just now that an emperor has to endure betrayal, and obviously he couldn't do it.

At this point. No wonder Li Jing said such words just now. According to Lu Ke's mind, he really couldn't stand the betrayal of others.

"Throughout the dynasties, party strife has always been inevitable. Your Highness," if you become the emperor, you will also encounter this kind of thing. Your Highness, do you think you can handle it?..." Li Jing shook his head again and said: "Actually, this is

This kind of thing cannot be handled well by anyone. The same is true for His Majesty today, but His Majesty can control it within the scope of his control, but His Highness cannot. I guarantee that these things are indeed an important aspect, and

On the other hand, His Highness's bloodline is also one of the reasons. After all, Your Highness is from the former Sui Dynasty. Although Emperor Yan of the Sui Dynasty has been vindicated by His Majesty, even Your Majesty does not know what the people of the world will think. For the sake of the country, the country, and the country, Your Majesty,

No matter how much I like His Highness, I will never let Him become the Crown Prince. However, the King of Yue at that time was far superior to His Highness in the way of governing the country or the art of strategizing. His Highness always strived for strength, but the King of Yue was not outstanding.

Lu Shui, hiding aside. "Looking at the fight between the princes, he devoted himself to serving the emperor and studying knowledge. With Changsun Wuji and others helping him, how could your highness be able to fight against the crown prince!..." Li Jing said.

As he spoke, he looked at Lu Ke quietly, with an inexplicable look in his eyes.

"I understand, the lonely king. Thank you, General, for reminding me." After a long while, Lu Kecai sighed deeply, cupped his hands towards Li Jing, and said with a wry smile: "Actually, the general doesn't like being the prince either. It's just the situation back then.

The general also knows it. If it weren't for the persecution of his elder brother and Cui Renshi and other Guandong families, how could the lonely king compete with them for the position of prince..." Li Jing nodded, not saying whether what Lu Ke said at this moment was true.

, but the overall situation has been decided at this moment." Li Jing, who had been dating Lu Zhaoci for more than ten years, could vaguely guess Lu Zhaoci's thoughts.

"It's just the general. What the lonely king is worried about now is the future..." Lu Ke thought for a while and then said: "The reason why Uncle Liang is Uncle Liang is because he cannot inherit the throne, so the father trusts him, but in the end

Generals are different. The last generals worry about the future."

"Your Highness, don't worry. I think Your Majesty has already made arrangements." Li Jing waved his hand with a smile and said, "His Royal Highness is kind and kind nowadays. As long as His Highness has no wrong ideas, His Highness and His Highness are still brothers."

"Prince Chenglie is naturally not worried. The lonely king is worried about other people..." Lu Ke shook his head and said: "Although the last general is in Goguryeo, he has also heard about some things in the court. In the court,

But many people are complaining about the excessive killing of the lonely king and are preparing to punish the lonely king! Hum, to be more thorough, aren't these people worried that the lonely king will shake Chengyeol's position in the East Palace after he returns? It's really funny

, if the lonely king wants it, he must persevere. If he doesn’t want it, it’s not uncommon to give it to the lonely king. Alas! It’s a pity that once the lonely king returns to the court, I’m afraid he will never have the opportunity to lead the army. By then,

It’s really going to fall into their hands…”

, "Haha, why is your highness so discouraged? Didn't your highness see that many of the bachelors in Xuande Hall have changed?" Li Jing naturally knew who Lu Ke was referring to in his words, and smiled.

Said: "Don't worry! Your Majesty is not only a good emperor, but also a good father.

There is naturally no problem with His Highness's safety. I will guarantee this with my life..."

"Thank you, old general..." Lu Ke nodded. As for how much he believed it, only he knows. The emperor's thoughts are impenetrable, and the thoughts of these princes are also impenetrable.

Yes, people who can gain a foothold in the palace are not simple people.,.

Li Jing also nodded, and the two talked for a while before letting Lu Ke leave the Chinese army's tent. The next day, Li Jing led an army of 200,000 troops back to the court. On the way, he received another imperial edict.

The emperor gave a royal carriage, drawn by four white horses, and Li Jing rode in it. There was also a prince's guard of honor in front, which was magnificent. It made Li Jing so majestic that he could rival any prince. It can be said that the emperor's favor is great. Li Jing

I sighed slightly in my heart.

"General, my father's move is a great act of kindness!..." Lu Ke didn't understand the meaning and couldn't help but said with a smile. Everyone around him also nodded, with excitement on their faces.

It is already very rare for a minister to receive such a high reward, and it is even more rare for General Li Jing to receive such a high reward from a surrendered minister.

"Hey! I'm getting old. After returning to the court this time, I'm going to retire and return to my hometown..." Li Jing patted his right leg, with a look of helplessness on his face, and said: "The world in the future will also belong to you young people.

The world has nothing to do with me anymore. In my spare time, I may teach my disciples in martial arts. When I go home, I can tease my grandson and live a leisurely life. It's a pity that my right leg, otherwise it can still be used

Let's fight for His Majesty again." How could he not know that Lu Zhaoci wanted him to give up his military power? On the one hand, it was because he had been in the army for a long time and his prestige was too high, but more importantly, he had leg problems.

Because of his age, Lu Zhaoci did not want to make himself work day and night anymore, so he made this decision. If he had not wanted to conquer Goguryeo at the beginning, the emperor wanted to annihilate Goguryeo as soon as possible, so he would dispatch so many troops and so many generals.

Only then would he be allowed to serve as deputy commander and lead the army in battle. Otherwise, at this time, he would probably be teaching his disciples in martial arts. After this time, he really can no longer lead the army in battle.

Lu Ke and others did not understand what the emperor was thinking, but the look of envy on their faces was not much less. How could these generals understand what Li Jing was thinking at this moment? There were officials at all levels picking him up along the way. Fortunately, it was Ban Shi

Returning to the dynasty, as the army passed by, grain and grass were supplied by the state capitals and roads were built, making the army advance extremely fast.

Just after crossing the bank of the Yellow River, only a month had passed. At this time, another imperial edict came, and Xue Rengui was appointed as the general of the Northern Campaign. Only after Li Jing, Xu Shiji, Lu Zhaoying and Qin Yong, he became the third largest army in the Tang Dynasty.

Among the five giants, Li Jing understood Lu Zhaoci's thoughts better.

"The prince's big day is coming soon." Li Jing suddenly said to Lu Ke who was beside him: "It must be that the day for the King of Shu to get married is coming soon. Your Highness, King of Shu, I wonder if you are interested in someone? When the time comes, I can attack you." Li Jing

There was also a smile on his face. When the prince got married, there was no need for Li Jing to fight. All he had to do was issue an imperial edict.

"If that's the case, thank you so much, General." Lu Ke quickly said with his hands over his hands. The two of them were chatting quite happily these days. He knew that Li Jing was joking, but Lu Ke still said with his hands over his hands.

"General, look..." At this moment, the Chinese guard beside him suddenly pointed to the distance and shouted in surprise. At this time, not only him, but also the accompanying soldiers also shouted in surprise, and they all shouted in surprise.

There were bursts of cheers. It turned out that on a high hill in the distance, a bright yellow dragon flag was fluttering in the wind. Under the golden flag, a middle-aged man in a dragon robe was riding a horse. Surrounded by him

, there were countless royal guards guarding the left and right, and in the black feather forest, the bright yellow figure was so clear. But it was the emperor himself who came to greet him.

"Your Majesty." Li Jing's lips trembled when he saw this. Everything in the past appeared in front of him one by one. Every time he came back from an expedition, Lu Zhaoci would go out ten miles to greet him personally, and now he even went out to welcome him on the bank of the Yellow River.

By the way, this gesture was enough to move Li Jing deeply. He did not dare to neglect at that moment, and hurriedly got off the carriage. Regardless of his own illness, he ordered people to prepare war horses. With the help of everyone, he got on his horse and headed towards the high hill.

Lu Ke and other generals around him quickly followed.

When Lu Zhaoci saw this in the distance, he did not dare to neglect, drove his horse, flew down the high hill, and came towards Li Jing. The imperial guards behind him also moved accordingly.

"Brother Jing..."

"His Majesty."

Lu Zhaoci's voice was still so strong and powerful, full of majesty. Li Jing's voice was still so powerful, with just a hint of choking.
To be continued...