Seeing the name of Nishu on the memorial, Li Shimin's memory was pulled back ten years ago.

In the third year of Wude, the world was settled, but there were still various rebellions that had not been destroyed, and they could not be called stable. At that time, Li Shimin was not yet General Tiance, and he was only focused on making achievements and sharing the worries of his father and brother.

At that time, if we talked about the strength of the military, there was no one who had ever been out of the Eastern Turks. Jie Li also succeeded the throne that year, and was arrogant and domineering. In order to pacify the Central Plains, Li Yuan had to compromise and give him more. However, he could not satisfy him and repeatedly led his troops to invade the border.

In order to curb the Eastern Turks, Li Yuan secretly sent envoys to contact the Western Turks, hoping that the Western Turks could send troops and make the Eastern Turks fearful. At that time, the Western Turks had been recuperating for many years, and the Great Khan commander Ye Hu was also a hero, and he was eager to avenge the revenge of being driven away by the Eastern Turks. Seeing the envoy of the Tang Dynasty, he happily accepted the agreement to fight against the Eastern Turks. In order to show his sincerity, he sent his nephew Ashina Nishu as an envoy to come to Chang'an.

To show respect, Li Yuan also issued an order to let Li Shimin receive Nishu.

The two met under such circumstances.

The same enemy, common purpose, and similar age, gave the two a lot of topics to talk about. Nishu grew up in the Western Regions since he was a child, and most of the things he had seen were those that Li Shimin had never seen. He told Li Shimin a lot of things about the Western Regions, camels, Hu girls, and mirages, which made Li Shimin amazed. In return, Li Shimin also brought Nishu to appreciate the scenery of Chang'an, the towering city walls, mottled ancient temples, local customs and various delicacies, especially the profoundness of Central Plains culture, which deeply impressed the Turkic young man and made him linger.

However, there was no banquet that would last forever. A month and a half passed in a blink of an eye, and Ashina Ni had to set off for a trip. He shouldered the responsibility of an envoy and had to go back to report on the progress of cooperation between the two countries.

Asan Nishu knew in his heart that the Western Turks were more than a thousand miles away from Chang'an. This time, he might never have a chance to come back. Moreover, after a month and a half, Nishu also had a deep friendship with Li Shimin. Therefore, when he was about to part, he proposed to become brothers with Li Shimin.

Li Shimin was only twenty-two years old at that time and was still cunning. He and Nishu were with him for a month and a half, and he respected his character very much. Li Shimin agreed without thinking about it. Moreover, the situation in the Tang Dynasty at that time required the Western Turks as a foreign aid. Even for the Tang Dynasty, he did not agree.

The next day, the two became brothers based on Turkic etiquette. Li Shimin took off his jade pendant from his waist and gave it to Nishu as a token, while Nishu gave Li Shimin a strong Turkic bow. Li Shimin always carried this strong bow with him. Later, during the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Shimin also used it to shoot his brother Li Jiancheng to death.

Later, Li Shimin ascended the throne and became emperor. But he could not face the powerful bow that shot his brother to death. So in the second year of Zhenguan, when he was sacrificing Li Jiancheng, he asked Eunuch Gao to secretly burn the bow.

After Nishu returned to the Western Turks, he tried his best to promote the cultivation of the Western Turks and the Tang Dynasty. It was precisely because of the help of the Western Turks that the Tang Dynasty was able to take action to pacify Shandong, go to Jiangnan, and unify the Central Plains.

When Li Shimin ascended the throne and became emperor, he sent a message from all directions, and the Western Turks also received news. Nishu even sent someone to send a letter to congratulate Li Shimin on becoming the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. However, Li Shimin did not reply to this letter. He was already the emperor, and he did not deny the friendship between him when he was young, but he did not want to mention it.

Moreover, this brotherly love made Li Shimin feel very painful. No matter what, he killed his own brother. If a person who even brothers can kill, would the world believe it if he said he cares about the friendship of righteousness?

Li Shimin is a conceited person. Since no one would believe it, he simply wouldn't mention it. Since then, he deliberately forgot about this matter. Later, in order to prepare for revenge on Jie Li, the whole Tang Dynasty became busy. Li Shimin even wanted to be divided into several people, and he had no time to think of it.

Unexpectedly, I received such news today.

The heroic ruler of the generation, Ye Hu Khan, died, and Nimu was elected as the great Khan. However, Nimu refused to acknowledge the son of the Tongye Hu Khan. He avenged the revenge of the Tongye Hu Khan, but he caused a murderous disaster and fled to Yanqi Kingdom.

Li Shimin was very complicated when he heard this news.

Although he deliberately downplayed the relationship with Nishu, he actually cared about it in his heart. Because he always believed that he was a person who values ​​feelings. Killing his brother was a last resort. It was just that people in the world thought he was cold-blooded and he didn't want to explain.

Nishu was his sworn brother, and he felt that he should care about it in terms of emotion and reason.

But when I thought about it, what could I care? Not to mention that the Tang Dynasty had just destroyed the Eastern Turks, it urgently needed to recuperate and was unable to fight again. Even if it could, as the monarch of the Tang Dynasty, would it be necessary to raise troops for a sworn brother of the Turks?

It is important to know that before the troops move, food and grass will come first. Now the national treasury is empty, so what can I use to raise food and grass?

Moreover, the Tang Dynasty is more than a thousand miles away from the Western Turks. Even if you want to help, would you want the Tang Dynasty athletes to travel through the desert and fight? The Western Turks are not small countries. Although their power is far away in the Western Regions, there are no strong enemies nearby for many years. I am afraid that the power is not under the Eastern Turks. Can you win by fighting?

What if you lose, what should you do?

After many thoughts flashed, Li Shimin had already made a decision. In any case, he would not stand up for this sworn brother.

After making this decision, Li Shimin calmed down. He was thinking about the possible chain reaction that might have caused after this incident.

In the Western Turks, Nishu has always been a "pro-Tang faction". After this new Khan used Nishu to avenge and consolidate his position, he attacked him. His mind was most likely that he did not want to cultivate with the Tang Dynasty.

This is not impossible. After the demise of the Eastern Turks, many tribes of the Eastern Turks were unwilling to join the Tang Dynasty and were worried about the Tang Dynasty's conquest. Many went north to join Xueyantuo, and some also crossed the desert and surrendered to the Western Turks.

The Turks were nomadic peoples, and their rules were to conquer and be conquered. Although these tribes originally belonged to the Eastern Turks, there was no reason why they came over and the Western Turks did not accept it. Moreover, a hundred years ago, all Turks were originally one family.

Li Shimin could imagine that these surrendered tribes must have spread the news that the Eastern Turks were destroyed and Jie Li was captured. One prerequisite for the cultivation of the Western Turks and the Tang Dynasty was that the two had a common enemy. Now this enemy has been resolved by the Tang Dynasty and the situation has reversed.

The Western Turks were driven away by the Eastern Turks, so they could not not covet the pastures left by the Eastern Turks. Especially in the Hetao area, the grasslands were plump and they were originally the royal tent of the Turkic Khanate. Both sides previously claimed that they were the orthodox Turkic, but now the Eastern Turkic has been destroyed and no one has fought for them. The Western Turkic is naturally the orthodox.

In the name of this orthodox, they also want to return to Hetao.

The new Khan attacked Nishu, which was likely a signal of the Eastern Expedition. First, clear out the "pro-Tang faction" within, then prepare for the troops and marched to the Eastern Expedition. Thinking of the interview with Ju Wentai, the ruler of Gaochang, Li Shimin became more confident in his guess. The first stop in the Eastern Expedition of the Western Turkic was Gaochang. Gaochang was a small citizen, and it was said that there were only 5,000 soldiers. How could he resist the rolling iron hoofs of the Western Turkic cavalry?

In this way, Ju Wentai's purpose of coming to Chang'an was obvious, and he wanted to ask for help.

Li Shimin's eyes were set on the memorial again, and a look of doubt appeared in his eyes.

Since Ju Wentai is here to ask for help, why did he ask the prince to come to Chang'an one step ahead? And he did not report it secretly. If it weren't for a coincidence that Wang Zhongyuan discovered this, he would probably not have known about it on the day Ju Wentai arrived in Chang'an.

Ju Wentai came to ask for help, so why did his son come to Chang'an for?

make a sightseeing tour?

Li Shimin didn't believe it.

With his fingers gently tapping the table, several possibilities emerged in Li Shimin's mind. Eliminating the options he felt were incorrect, and finally one of the most likely possibilities remained.

Ju Wentai was afraid that I would not agree, so he asked his son to take a step first to clear the important officials in the court to speak for them.

This must be the case!

Li Shimin rubbed his swollen temples and fell into deep thoughts again.

The Eastern Turks were destroyed, and there were no more powerful enemies in the west and north of the Tang Dynasty, and they were just in time to rest and recuperate. Although it is known that Xue Yantuo was eyeing him, Xue Yantuo had been enslaved by the Turks before, without good horses and bows, and Turkic tribes were merged into it, and internal integration would take some time. Li Shimin concluded that within five years, Xue Yantuo would not be a big problem. When five years later, the Tang Dynasty would rest and recuperate, if Xue Yantuo wanted to invade, he would have enough confidence to defeat him.

But the Turks are different. The Western Turks have been operating in the Western Regions for decades. What kind of strength is still unknown. If they fight, they are not comparable to Xue Yantuo.

Just after leaving one Eastern Turk, another Western Turk was back. The Tang Dynasty still couldn't change the situation of strong enemies, so how could we talk about resting and recuperation?

"If it really comes, this battle will be fought."

Li Shimin murmured.

The situation has been clearly analyzed, but Gaochang State, should it be saved or not?

Li Shimin didn't make up his mind.

Now the Lord of Gaochang still has the leisure to come to Chang'an to see him, which means that the Western Turks have not yet reached a certain level. If the Tang Dynasty sent troops to Gaochang and faced the Western Turks directly, they would probably give them a handle. The Western Turks could use this as an excuse to start a war directly against the Tang Dynasty, just in their hearts.

But if you don’t care, it won’t work. Gaochang State is located at a critical moment. Although the army is not strong, it is a key node for trading in the Western Regions. The merchants of the Tang Dynasty wanted to go to the Western Regions, and Gaochang was the last supply station before entering the desert. The merchants of the Western Regions wanted to come to the Tang Dynasty. After passing through the desert, they would be exhausted from ammunition and food, and continued to supply. They could not do without Gaochang. Gaochang collected business taxes on both sides and made a fortune in business transactions.

If such a place was taken in the hands of the Western Turks, it would be like blocking the road to the west of the Tang Dynasty, which would be extremely disadvantageous to the Tang Dynasty.

How can I think of a way to achieve the best of both worlds?

Li Shimin only felt that his head was about to explode.

If it were in the past, Li Shimin would have sent someone to find Changsun Wuji at this time. After he discussed with Changsun Wuji, he would tell Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui. Later on, Wang Gui, Wei Zheng and others were Wang Gui.

However, since Changsun Wuji submitted a petition to repair Longyou Road, Li Mu's words often flashed through Li Shimin's mind, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt it made sense.

Changsun Wuji had a close relationship with him, and the Changsun family and the Li family shared the same relationship. But none of these could change the fact that Changsun was Changsun and the royal family was the royal family. No matter how loyal Changsun Wuji was, he would consider the interests of Changsun first, but after all, there was still a layer of separation.

With such thoughts in his heart, Li Shimin was not as trusted as before. At the same time, he could understand why Empress Changsun always advocated not to value relatives. Doing so was both a way to protect the royal family and a disguised protection of the Changsun family. If the Changsun family had too much power, disaster would cause Xiao Wall in the future, perhaps the Changsun family would not be able to preserve it.

After Li Shimin understood this truth, he reflected on himself many times. He was not as far-reaching as the queen in such a major event. At the same time, he cursed Li Mu many times. Li Mu's words seemed to be an unintentional word, pointing out this layer of window paper. This is certainly a good thing, but for Li Shimin, it made him lose someone who can be called a friend.

"Who can I trust without any defense in this world?"

Li Shimin murmured to himself, suddenly remembering Li Mu, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Changsun Wuji cannot believe it all, but Li Mu can still believe it. Perhaps as he said, if he has a family in the future, he will consider his own family. But he doesn’t have one now, he doesn’t even have a son, and he is alone, and now he can trust it.

He also thought about the matter with Nishu back then. When Nishu came to Chang'an, Li Yuan asked him to receive Nishu. First, considering his identity, Nishu was the nephew of the Turkic Khan, and he was the King of Qin and the prince to show his favor. Second, considering his age, he was the same age as Nishu, and he did not have any topics to talk about when talking.

Now that the Prince of Gaochang has come to Chang'an, Li Shimin asked Li Mu to receive Nishu, which is just like the incident that year. It is reported that Prince of Gaochang is only in his twenties. Although Li Mu is only seventeen, he probably won't be at a disadvantage. Prince of Gaochang, the Marquis of the Tang Dynasty, is not considered to be slow to treat him.

The most important thing is that Li Shimin wanted to separate Prince Gaochang from the civil and military officials of the court. No matter what the final decision was, Li Shimin did not want to see the situation where the civil and military officials of the court were bribed and joined forces to force the palace.

The Holy Emperor must make arbitrary decision!

This idea formed in my mind, and the more I thought about it, the more I felt it was feasible. Li Shimin knocked on the table and said, "Come on!"

Eunuch Gao went to Chang'an County to issue an order, so naturally someone else was serving him. A eunuch entered the hall and bowed and said, "What are your instructions?"

"Go and call Zhulu Hou here, I have something to tell him."

"No!" the eunuch responded and retreated.

As soon as the eunuch went out, Eunuch Gao came back: "Your Majesty, Chang'an County Magistrate Wang Zhongyuan has arrived, and the marquis outside the hall is ordered."

Li Shimin nodded and said, "Did those two Hu people also bring them?"

"I brought it, and I'm outside the hall."
Chapter completed!