Chapter 505: Remaining Life 17

In the hundreds of years since the Rebellion of the Jin Dynasty, both Chang'an and Luoyang have become places of four wars.

Therefore, those who wanted to survive might take their families and clothes to cross south, or even their clansmen could go to the frontier on their own.

For people in Guanzhong, Hexi, with its abundant water and grass, is the first choice.

Therefore, over the past hundred years, Liangzhou has no longer been in a bitter and cold state, and has become prosperous.

But no matter how prosperous he was, the food was still not as refined as Chang'an's, so when he was in Liangzhou, Pei Xingjian was already thinking about having a big meal when he returned to Kyoto.

But now that he was sitting at the banquet, Pei Xingjian became absent-minded.

Food and wine are served, lamb is aged, cattle and dolphins are cooked and congratulated.

There are all the staple dishes, including desserts.

Jade dew dumplings, Qifui cakes, imperial concubine red and Jusheng slaves are all on display.

You can take your own steamed rice cakes, sweet glutinous rice cakes, deer cake steamed buns, and Lingsha cakes.

(饆𫗩 sounds the same as Bi Luo, and 蛛 sounds the same as Huo)

But at this time, none of these delicacies could be seen by Pei Xingjian. He almost couldn't wait to get to Li Jing's side and whispered:

"Scholar... Master, is your Majesty's secret map of the palace true?"

But soon another more concerning question was asked involuntarily:

"Master, do you really want to go to the sea master?"

This is quite difficult to understand for Pei Xingjian.

Of course he knew about the East China Sea. The howling winds, treacherous clouds, and huge waves were unpredictable, and people along the coast were in awe and fear.

And the master is now an old man... No, he seemed to have said that he still had more than ten years to live?

Pei Xingjian felt more and more doubts in his head.

Li Jinghun didn't care. When the banquet started, he raised his wine and accepted the congratulations from the guests on the grounds of being tired, so he was at peace at the moment.

Under Pei Xingjian's anxious gaze, the old general opened the small steamer in front of him with his chopsticks. He gently picked up the dumplings in the steamer with the tips of his chopsticks and spread them out in front of him.

At the same time, his left hand continued to take out a few spoonfuls of fruit pulp from the opened cherry pottery can next to it and spread it evenly on the skin of the cherry, and then picked up a few grapes from the plate next to it.

After the spread is completed, use chopsticks to pick up the dough skin in several directions to wrap it completely, and finally pick it up with chopsticks and put it into your mouth.

Feeling the fruit pulp and cane sugar rolling in his mouth, supplemented by the pancakes to soften the aftertaste, Li Jing squinted his eyes intoxicated and sighed:

"If you want to taste delicious food, you should go to Chang'an!"

This sentence was clearly heard by Li Shimin. Surrounded by civil and military nobles, he could only raise his glass from a distance and nodded towards Li Jing.

The old general laughed and raised his glass to drink as well.

Putting down his wine glass and seeing Pei Xingjian so anxious that he seemed about to jump on the table in the blink of an eye, Li Jing also shook his head and said:

"The map in the palace is of course real. Otherwise, where did the Qinghai sand table of the Imperial College come from? Where did the Qinghai map of Liangzhou's military strategy come from?"

Although Pei Xingjian had already made a guess in his mind, he was still a little distracted when he heard the confirmation from his master:

"Then the territory of our Tang Dynasty is no more than two or three in the world?"

For him, the Tang Dynasty inherited the Qin and Han Dynasties and came to China to appease the barbarians. This was something that he had read since he was a child and took it for granted.

But looking at what the map shows now, the land of Zhuxia is just in the east corner of the world, which is completely different from what the saint said in the classics.

Li Jing looked at his disciple, then picked up another piece of rice cake made of mashed glutinous rice and bean paste with chopsticks. After tasting it deliciously, he shook his head and said:

"Twenty-three in the world? When you know the scenery of the earth, you can understand the vastness of the universe. The land where we stand is less than one-tenth of what we in the Tang Dynasty have."

Pei Xingjian felt that his thoughts were more confused than ever before, but he still followed his instinct and asked subconsciously:

"Is this why the master wants to lead the sea division to control the South China Sea?"

Li Jing nodded calmly:

"Now that Tuyuhun is dead, even if there are Tibetans peeping in the west, I, Tang Jian'er, can go straight to the Western Regions without any worries."

"Your Majesty erected a monument at Kaiyuan Gate, intending to make the West Ji Road nine thousand nine hundred miles, but now it can only reach three thousand miles."

"The Thirty-Six Kingdoms are galloping with their horses and whips, and the Turkic Khanates are raising grass and tending sheep. We must encourage them to keep their promises."

Pei Xingjian felt that he still had many questions, but what the master said was enough for him to digest for a while.

In the battle of Tuyuhun, he could clearly see the power of gunpowder. One artillery piece was enough to defeat a powerful general on the battlefield. With this help, he could predict that it would not be difficult to control the Western Region.

Perhaps for a man like his master who was a master of military affairs, conquering the Western Region in this way was indeed a bit bullying. The naval commander... shook his head, and Pei Xingjian chose not to think about it for the time being.

He had a hunch that his puzzlement might be answered within this year.

So he simply changed the question in another direction:

"Master, does he really have seventeen years left to live?"

Li Jing looked at the gourd chicken that was just presented and was said to be newly made in the imperial dining room. He was very interested. He stood up and tore off a piece and put it into his mouth to taste the taste. He laughed and cursed:

"Why, do you think the master may be a hindrance to your leadership in the future?"

But as soon as he finished speaking, he heard a sniffing sound. When he turned around, he saw Pei Xingjian hanging his head, a drop of water falling from the tip of his nose, leaving a mark on the floor.

Li Jing dared to march in the rain to storm dangerous points, he could storm the enemy commander's tent on a snowy night, and he could brave the miasma and stay up all night in pursuit of the North.

But the scene before him was something he had never faced before. The military god was a little confused for a moment. He swallowed the gourd chicken in his mouth quickly, regardless of whether it was hot, and then took out his handkerchief to try to remedy the situation:

"Hey, keep the promise, Master is just teasing you... When others reach sixty, they can't live for more than ten years... Look, Your Majesty... He is wrong, wrong, oops..."

"Why are you crying?"

Taking the handkerchief that still smelled of blood from Li Jing, Pei Xingjian wiped away the tears on his face, and then whispered:

"My father and brother died in my mother's womb. How can I bear to say goodbye to my master thirty years ago?"

So Li Jing remained silent.

It is no secret that Pei Xingjian is the posthumous son of Pei Renji.

A child is left unborn, his father is invisible in his heart, his image is invisible in his dreams, and his biological father is almost nothing.

During the Battle of Tuyuhun on the Qinghai Road, I thought that your majesty would promote him too quickly and he was quite young. He was afraid that something might happen on the battlefield, so he took more care of him.

Now it seems that the relationship between the two of them is that although they are teachers, they are close to fathers.

So Li Jing could only put away his previous amused attitude and said seriously:

"The lifespan of seventeen years was originally known. Now that there is King Sun Yao in Kyoto, and Master, I now pay attention to health care, it may be more than seventeen years."

This statement finally made Pei Xingjian stop feeling sad. Li Jing introduced him to two more dishes before finally turning his attention to the banquet in front of him.

After a restful meal, Pei Xingjian patted his belly with a satisfied look on his face:

You can’t eat such food in Liangzhou!

With a full stomach and a good mood, bold thoughts took over again.

After taking a careful look at His Majesty, who was still being flattered by His Majesty, Pei Xingjian asked cautiously:

"Master, Ganlu Palace, when you said you still have seventeen years to live, why do I seem to be unhappy when I see His Majesty?"

There were no other civil or military nobles around the two of them at the moment. Either because they had eaten a little too happily, or because they drank three or five more glasses of wine, Li Jing also lost some of his reserve, lowered his head and said with a smile:

"Perhaps it's because... His Majesty thought that he still has seventeen years left to live."

Pei Xingjian immediately wanted to slap himself!

Why are you asking this when everything is fine?

He did not doubt the authenticity of this statement at all. After all, this was the master, and there was no need or possibility to lie to himself.

Although Zi is silent about his strange power and chaos, but judging from his continuous battles and victories and the accuracy of the map, I am afraid that your Majesty and Master really have a lot of things that are inconvenient to talk about?

Pei Xingjian still regretted his casual question to Master until the next day when he got up and washed up and arrived at Hongwen Hall.

After all, even if you know this thing, it is useless at all. You are frightened out of thin air, and it is not accurate according to what the master said.

But if he didn't keep his mouth shut and the news reached His Majesty's ears... Pei Xingjian felt that the old Pei family might be gone in his generation.

With such a dazed look on his face, he almost staggered as he stepped on the threshold, but an arm supported him at the critical moment.

Pei Xingjian patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Then he turned his head to say thank you and saw a face that was not unfamiliar. He immediately said involuntarily:

"I didn't say Your Majesty..."

Pei Xingjian's hand was faster than his head. He pinched his lips accurately and smiled awkwardly at Li Chengqian in front of him.

Li Chengqian didn't take it seriously and said with a smile:

"It seems that we had a lot of fun celebrating yesterday as we kept our promise."

Pei Xingjian rubbed his face, walked down the slope and said:

"Using the honor of acting on behalf of the Duke to do a roll call in front of His Majesty is quite dissolute. You should reflect on yourself."

Li Chengqian understood, so he simply pointed to the corridor beside him:

"I heard that I had promised to go to Qinghai to fight for my country at the age of thirteen. I wish I could go with you."

"Now that we have met, why don't you tell me a few words?"

Pei Xingjian was very familiar with Hongwen Hall and knew that there was a small garden there, where Wang and his grandson would often go and play to relax when they were tired from studying.

His Royal Highness the Prince was also a student of the Hongwen Hall in name, so he would come here from time to time. At that time, Pei Xingjian was quite famous in the Hongwen Hall because he could write pretty good calligraphy. Therefore, although he was not familiar with the Prince, he was definitely not a stranger. .

It was natural for the prince to invite him. Pei Xingjian nodded and talked with Li Chengqian about the previous battle.

First, he talked about how he couldn't stand the embarrassment of the cold in Liangzhou, and then he said that the food in Liangzhou was unpalatable, the scenery of Qinghai, the cunning of the mixed barbarians, and the strength of the Tang army.

Li Chengqian listened carefully, nodding from time to time, and occasionally asked what was the difference between Tuyuhun and the Turks. This made Pei Xingjian a little curious:

"Your Highness is so interested in barbarians?"

Li Chengqian nodded with a smile. There was some complacency and some unconcealable expectation in his smile:

"After all, the Turks are our enemies in the Tang Dynasty. Only by knowing ourselves and the enemy can we win every battle without danger."

Pei Xingjian nodded silently, talked to the prince for a while, and then separated.

He was going to look for some ancient books in the collection of Hongwen Hall to see if there was any place that could correspond to the map of the Manna Hall that he had glimpsed yesterday.

The other thing is to focus on looking for the word "Earth" to see if there is any record.

These two casual words suddenly came to mind when I got up today, but unfortunately the master had already closed the door to thank guests in the name of tiredness, and it would be half a month before I wanted to see him again.

Before turning around and leaving, Pei Xingjian subconsciously glanced at the girl behind His Royal Highness with a frown.

Seeing that she was dressed like a female companion of the same age in the East Palace, Pei Xingjian had a vague feeling that although the girl didn't say a word, she understood everything just said, and she seemed to be thoughtful and intelligent.

Well, after all, he was once known as a child prodigy, so there was no mistaking that.

Now when I look at it from a distance, I don't think it looks like a subordinate... But what does it matter to me?

Shaking his head, he turned around and thought habitually.

The prince's inquiry... the unconcealed excitement on his face... the unconcealed curiosity about the Western Regions in his words... and the sudden decision of the master yesterday, and...

"Thirty-six countries galloped on horses and whipped their whips, and the Turkic Khanate cleared the grass and herded sheep"

Pei Xingjian shook his head and came up with a self-consciously bold guess:

"Your Majesty wants the prince to lead the army to conquer the Western Regions?"

He was shocked by his own thoughts, but the more Pei Xingjian thought about it, the more likely it was.

The veteran generals will pacify the sea, and the Qing generals will open up the borders. This is the most obvious situation now.

And now that the Tang Dynasty has brave cavalry, brave soldiers, and indestructible gunpowder weapons, and with the help of fierce generals like Xue Su, the only enemy in the Western Regions is the Western Turks.

Pei Xingjian could not fight on the battlefield in Qinghai, but he heard it clearly from the soldiers' retelling.

Xue Rengui's bravery in archery and horsemanship in battle is quite similar to that of the emperor, and he has a precious bow bestowed by the emperor.

Su Dingfang's surprise attack in the battle array is like a ghost, and his skill in commanding the cavalry is like that of the master.

It's no wonder that Master asked Master Xuehai to pacify the South China Sea after he destroyed Tuyuhun. He probably felt that the Western Regions were not interesting anymore...

In this case, it's not too much to compare the Western Regions to a forbidden hunting ground. Letting your Majesty's own children go in to ride ponies and kill people may also be a way to train a crown prince.

But the biggest problem is that the prince is now the same age as him. Your Majesty's move is a bit too hasty. Is he afraid that his remaining seventeen years of life will not change...Pah, pah, pah!

Pei Xingjian tried hard to get rid of this thought from his mind, and then remembered that the prince was the same age as him.

Wait, I did something unprecedented in the Tang Dynasty. I followed the army to conquer Qinghai at the age of twelve or thirteen. Could it be that this was also a part of your Majesty's training of the prince?

Pei Xingjian suddenly wanted to report to his master and let Zhuya pacify the South China Sea together...

It was the first time in his life that he had to squeeze with Xue Su and the prince in the Western Regions. Pei Xingjian felt that the Western Regions were a bit too small.

After Li Chenggan and Pei Xingjian parted ways, his steps became slightly lighter along the way.

After entering the palace, the maid behind him stepped forward, from two body positions behind the prince to half a shoulder behind. The eunuch beside him was not surprised, but when he heard this girl asked crisply:

"Your Highness is really going to the Western Regions?"

Li Chenggan tried to suppress the smile on his face and said:

"Your Majesty must decide, but..."

After saying this, Li Chenggan's face became more yearning:

"Father is right, he is on the verge of conquering the world, and now he is going to build a prosperous Tang Dynasty. How can a monarch be afraid of war and feel at ease?"

"Father is the monarch of the world, and I am also the young monarch of the world."

The girl's face was a little tangled:

"But...if we go to the Western Regions, won't many people die? Your Highness will also be in danger."

Now that he was seriously talking about this undecided matter, Li Chenggan's face was less excited and more determined:

"How can the world be conquered without bloodshed?"

"What's the danger? Since Tang has generals like my father, it also has a brave crown prince!"