lovenovelstory Chapter 18 Li Chengqian: Chang He, how about letting Su Gui be your soldier?
Chapter 18 Li Chengqian: Chang He, how about letting Su Gui be your soldier?
Chang He was furious to see his side lose two battles in a row. He dismissed everyone and took to the field himself to fight Su Gui.
As the commander of the Imperial Guards, how skilled could Chang He be?
Without outstanding martial arts skills, how can one win the respect of the people?
Li Chengqian turned his gaze to Su Gui, his eyes containing both approval and worry, as if to say, "You've shown enough face, kid. Know when to stop."
However, Su Gui had also clashed with Chang He today. He didn't care about Chang He or whether he was a commander or not. Here, it was all about skill. Nothing else mattered.
Chang He held a large knife in his hand. He removed the blade, wrapped the end with gauze, and then dipped it in white ash.
He slowly walked up to Su Gui: "Kid, looks like you're pretty good with a shot. Let me see what you've got!"
At this moment, the training ground was crowded with Imperial Guards, partly because they had learned that the Crown Prince had come to the scene today;
On the other hand, I heard that a young soldier has arrived, whose kung fu is so good that he actually dared to fight against Chang He!
Jingyao brought a chair over to Li Chengqian: "Your Highness, please sit down!"
Li Chengqian glanced at him, nodded slightly, and sat down.
With the Crown Prince present, he was essentially the chief examiner, overseeing the outcome and determining who would win between the two.
Jing Yao stood behind the Crown Prince and shouted loudly, "The martial arts competition begins!"
Chang He was seething with anger. He wondered if the soldiers he had trained were all good-for-nothings. They always gave perfunctory training, and today, any random young man could beat them all to a pulp. If they were on the battlefield, fighting to the death, how would they cope?
Besides, if this matter were to reach the Emperor's ears, he would lose face, and Li Shimin would surely think that he was incompetent in leading troops.
As the saying goes, "a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger." Although Su Gui had heard of Chang He's great reputation, he was never convinced of his abilities.
When two strong opponents meet, the brave one wins; if you are timid, you have already lost half the battle.
Chang He and Su Gui got into fighting stances and started fighting.
The two fought for twenty rounds without a clear winner.
Upon seeing this, Li Chengqian thought to himself, "Su Gui is capable."
No wonder Su Wan recommended Su Gui to me; it turns out she knew what she was talking about.
This kid's marksmanship is truly exceptional; he managed to last twenty rounds against Chang He, which is no small feat.
Li Chengqian thought of his father, the emperor. If it weren't for Empress Zhangsun and Zhangsun Wuji's help, how could he have ascended the throne?
In this vast palace, who is the person I can trust the most? Apart from Su Gui, it would be difficult to find a third person.
If you want to break that deadlock and make yourself invincible, you can't do it without a group of loyal brothers.
The Imperial Guards were dumbfounded. They never expected that the young man in front of them could fight Chang He to a standstill, evenly matched!
After twenty rounds, Chang He was starting to lose face, still unable to defeat Su Gui.
So he intensified his attack and used his ultimate technique, the "Chang Family Knife Technique," which consists of 64 moves.
His strikes were faster and more ferocious with each blow!
Li Chengqian took one look and felt it was about right.
He worried that if this went on for too long, Su Gui would not be a match for Chang He, since Su Gui had already fought three battles and was quite exhausted.
"Impressive skills!"
Li Chengqian stood up and applauded.
Seeing the Crown Prince leading the cheers, everyone else joined in!
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Gui feinted a shot and jumped out of the circle.
He naturally understood that the Crown Prince was intentionally protecting him.
He was indeed exhausted.
He thought to himself that Chang He truly deserved to be the commander of the Imperial Guards; his strength and swordsmanship were both superb.
If the fight continues, I might be defeated in less than ten rounds.
Just then, the Crown Prince came to his rescue.
Li Chengqian looked at Chang He with a smile: "General Chang, what do you think of Su Gui's marksmanship?"
"not bad!"
In fact, Chang He was also quite exhausted, and he wasn't entirely confident of defeating Su Gui.
"If Su Gui were to join your ranks as an ordinary Imperial Guard soldier, would you agree?"
At this moment, Chang He's forehead was also covered in sweat, and he was panting heavily: "Your Highness, is this really true?"
"That's natural."
"If that's the case, then Su Gui's talents are being wasted, and it's a bit of a disservice to him."
I just wonder if Su Gui would be willing?
Su Gui clasped her hands in a fist and said, "General Chang, I am not wronged, I am willing."
Chang He is very happy.
He took Su Gui's hand and said, "Yes, you are indeed excellent. From this moment on, you are a soldier of the Imperial Guard."
When the Imperial Guards saw that Su Gui, with his great abilities, was just a common soldier, they were all completely convinced of his superiority.
Li Chengqian turned to Su Gui and said, "It is your good fortune to be able to serve under Chang He. I hope you will learn from General Chang."
"Yes! I will certainly remember Your Highness's teachings." Su Gui bowed respectfully.
night.
Su Wan was in her room reading "Rules for Women" written by Empress Zhangsun.
She thought Empress Zhangsun was truly remarkable. As an empress, she was the mother of the nation, with so many things to handle inside and outside the palace, and several children to raise. She never expected that she could still write books and establish doctrines in her spare time.
After reading it, Su Wan felt that she benefited greatly.
Su Gui walked in from outside, looking radiant and beaming with joy: "Sister, I'm back."
Su Wan looked up at him, put down her book, and asked, "You look so happy, what good news happened?"
Su Gui, beaming with excitement, recounted what had happened on the school's military training ground.
He originally thought that Su Wan would praise his superb skills and superior abilities after hearing this, but to his surprise, Su Wan was not happy at all, and her face turned gloomy.
Su Gui, observing the situation, sensed something was amiss and had a premonition that a storm was brewing.
"I told you to sign up for the army. Do you really need to go to the military academy to show off your skills?"
Truly capable people hide their abilities, afraid that others will find out. But you, in front of everyone and the Crown Prince, flaunted your talents.
Remember, there are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your reach. No matter how skilled you are, there will always be someone even more capable than you!
Su Gui was so frightened that she lowered her head and remained silent.
For some unknown reason, he had been afraid of this older sister since he was a child.
"You're impressive, but can you be as impressive as Xiang Yu back then? He was strong enough to lift a cauldron and once killed thousands of people by himself!"
But in the end, what happened?
Not only could he not protect his beloved Yu Ji, but he also committed suicide at the Wujiang River.
Besides, you've only become an ordinary Imperial Guard soldier, what's there to be happy about?
If you become a general, will the world still be able to accommodate you?
What an unambitious person!
Do you know what it means for me to send you to the Imperial Guard?
"Do you really think you're just going to be a regular soldier, getting that meager salary every month? You're brainless!"
Su Gui was initially very happy, but she didn't expect her sister to get so angry and scold her severely, which frightened her so much that her face turned pale.
Su Wan stood up and paced back and forth in the room, sighing, "You're not a child anymore, it's time for you to be sensible."
Palace intrigue is extremely brutal.
Although Li Chengqian is the crown prince and has undergone his coming-of-age ceremony, and the emperor has entrusted him with many political affairs, seemingly trusting him greatly and cultivating his political abilities, this does not guarantee that he will inherit the throne in the future.
"Sister, what do you mean by that? The Crown Prince is the heir apparent of the country. When the old emperor is gone, won't he be the new emperor?" Su Gui asked, puzzled.
"That's not necessarily true. There's a long process from the position of crown prince to the throne, and there are many variables involved."
Therefore, we must do everything in our power to help the Crown Prince.
The Imperial Guards were responsible for the security of the entire city of Chang'an and the palace, which was of paramount importance.
If his father hadn't controlled the Imperial Guards, would he have succeeded in launching the Xuanwu Gate Incident?
That's practically impossible.
I hope you can deeply understand your sister's good intentions. Sending you to the Imperial Guard is not to let you show off, nor is it for you to earn a salary. Do you understand?
After listening, Su Gui seemed to understand a little, but then he frowned and said, "Sister, I'm just an ordinary Imperial Guard soldier now, with a lowly position. How can I possibly help the Crown Prince?"
Su Wan rolled her eyes at him: "To say that you think too simply, in that kind of situation, could the Crown Prince have said to Chang He that he would make you a captain or a general?"
Your history is blank, and you have no achievements to speak of. If Your Highness says such a thing, how can you convince the people?
Therefore, he can only let you start from the bottom. As for what happens in the future, that depends on your own performance.
Your task now is to gain Chang He's trust in the shortest possible time.
"Sister, I understand."
Literature Museum.
"Slap, slap, slap...!"
A loud spanking sound came from outside the door.
Li Tai, clutching his cheek, roared, "Beat him! Beat him hard, beat him to death!"
The two guards who accompanied him to Yichun Garden were beaten so badly that their skin was torn open and their flesh was bloody and mangled, a truly gruesome sight.
"Your Majesty, we know we were wrong, please forgive us! We will never do it again," one of the guards pleaded.
"You two damn bastards! I just went upstairs and you two ran off to find your lovers, leaving me here and not caring about me at all. What use are you to me?" Li Tai was still furious.
At this moment, Xiao Deyan mustered his courage and advised, "Your Majesty, I think that's enough. They didn't do it on purpose. If we cripple them, we'll have to pay for their medical expenses. It's better to spare their lives and let them atone for their crimes!"
Li Tai thought about it and agreed, then waved his hand, "Alright, for Lord Xiao's sake, let's stop fighting."
"promise!"
The executioner agreed.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing our lives!" The two guards knelt before Li Tai.
"Why are you thanking me? Why don't you thank Lord Xiao instead?"
The two guards turned around again and kowtowed to Xiao Deyan: "Thank you, Lord Xiao, for pleading for us."
"You don't need to be so polite, go and recover from your injuries."
The two guards got up from the ground, covered their buttocks, and limped down.
Li Tai drank a bowl of tea and then felt a little better.
"Your Majesty, are you really going to leave Chang'an?" Xiao Deyan asked.
"I have already agreed to their terms and signed the agreement. How can I go back on my word?" Li Tai's expression was also helpless.
"Your Majesty, your confession has fallen into the hands of others, which is indeed a hidden danger."
"If one day they hand that confession to your father and mother, it will be very bad for you." Xiao Deyan was very worried.
"I know that too, but what can we do now that things have come to this?" Li Tai spread his hands.
"Why not send someone to find out their background, kill them, and then get that confession back?"
Li Tai quickly shook his head: "No! The woman in black was right. She told me not to harbor any thoughts of revenge, otherwise she would capture me again, and then it wouldn't be so easy for me."
Li Tai still felt lingering fear when he thought of Xue'er's murderous expression and the gleaming scissors in her hand.
Everyone was speechless.
Xiao Deyan advised, "Your Majesty, you may have been terrified by them!"
But no matter how powerful they are, they are just two weak women. How much power can they possibly have?
The reason they were able to catch you last time was purely coincidental, because you weren't on guard.
"If we increase our vigilance and deploy more personnel, how can they possibly catch you again?"
Li Tai waved his hand: "What you said makes sense. It may be almost impossible for them to catch me again. However, since I have promised not to retaliate, I must keep my promise. After all, I am not a man of my word."
What if our defenses fail and I am captured again?
Well, once bitten, twice shy. Li Tai has become a frightened bird. In the end, he is still afraid of being caught by the other party.
Seeing that he was determined, the others did not press him, because if something happened to Li Tai, it would be no laughing matter.
"Chang'an is the center of power. If you leave Chang'an, wouldn't that be tantamount to giving up your chance to compete for the position of Crown Prince?"
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, you can't leave! What will we do if you leave?" the crowd echoed.
Li Tai also looked miserable and sighed, "I don't want to leave either, but can I go back on my word?"
Furthermore, I've heard that my mother has been urging my father to send me to my fiefdom; it's probably not appropriate for me to remain in Chang'an any longer."
At this moment, Gu Yin stood up and said, "Everyone, there's no need to be sad. I think it might not be a bad thing that the King left Chang'an."
"What do you mean?" the crowd asked, puzzled.
Have you heard the story of Chong'er being born abroad and Shen Sheng dying at home?
During the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Xian of Jin had eight sons, among whom Shen Sheng, Chong Er, and Yi Wu were all very wise and virtuous.
Later, Duke Xian of Jin favored Li Ji and had a son, Xi Qi, with her.
Li Ji wanted Xi Qi to become the crown prince, so she slandered him to Duke Xian of Jin, framing Crown Prince Shen Sheng.
In order to prove his innocence, Shen Sheng chose to commit suicide.
Because Chong'er remained in Pucheng and not in the palace, he avoided conflict and, with the help of Duke Mu of Qin, returned to Jin and seized the throne. He became the renowned Duke Wen of Jin.