Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 4905: I am not as good as you
If it is summer, you can see the Macheng River, which originates from the Qilian Mountains, rushing from south to north, with towering poplar trees and herds of cattle and sheep on both sides of the river, and the river flows like a Baiting Sea.

In this cold winter, the river is frozen, the mountains are covered with snow, and the river is covered with endless white snow...

An area of ​​snow on the riverbed was cleared and a tent was set up. Two teams of soldiers were separated on both sides, glaring at each other, with their swords drawn.

Inside the tent, Niu Jinda, who had just traveled back and forth from Fanhe City to Guzang City, could not hide his fatigue. Even such a strong man could not stand the long distance running in the severe winter and heavy snow...

Looking at An Yuanshou who was glaring at him, he grinned and said, "If Duke Liang is angry, you can go to Guzang alone to fight the commander-in-chief. The commander-in-chief is always courageous and will definitely give you a chance to fight him. There is no need to be so angry with me. After all, I am just following orders."

When mentioning the title of "Duke of Liang", An Yuanshou's face became bloodshot and his eyes were red with anger. This was wealth and honor that was enough for the An family to inherit forever and last forever with the country, but it was lost in his hands. His frustration and anger were beyond words and he couldn't hide it even if he wanted to.

"Despicable and shameless, birds of a feather!"

Niu Jinda ignored An Yuanshou and looked at Su Liangsi who was standing beside him: "My commander agreed to the peace talks for the sake of the overall situation, but the Zuo Wuwei are all iron-clad men who would rather die standing than live on their knees. If we are insulted again and again, we can just ignore the overall situation."

Su Liangsi smiled and said, "Words are the most powerless thing in the world. People are now trapped in a desperate situation and endure humiliation for the lives of their entire family. General Niu should also have the heart of a winner and not be so fussy."

Niu Jinda laughed angrily: "So which group are you from?"

Su Liangsi's smile faded: "I am on the same side as my commander-in-chief. Whoever dares to disrupt Hexi and undermine the Tibetan strategy will be the enemy of my Anxi Army!"

His words were sonorous and powerful, and did not give this meritorious official of the Zhenguan period any face at all.

He has the confidence to do so because he has the support of the Anxi Army, which has the largest number of troops, the widest theater of operations, and the strongest combat power in the current Tang Dynasty military system.

Although Niu Jinda looks rough, he is actually not reckless. He glanced at Su Liangsi, picked up the wine glass and drank, ignoring An Yuanshou's murderous gaze.

Su Liangsi then looked at An Yuanshou and said calmly, "The An family's current situation has nothing to do with others. It is all the fault of Fanhe County Lord. He made the wrong decision, chose the wrong side, and his methods were not as ruthless as others. Who can he blame? You should accept the loss and stop blaming others. You will be looked down upon for nothing."

Niu Jinda took a sip of wine and gave a thumbs up: "That's it. How can everything go as planned in life? You have to walk the path with your own feet. If you make a mistake, you have to admit it. No one will pamper you or coax you, let alone give you a chance to repent."

"Please stop talking," Su Liangsi took out a document and put it on the wooden table. "Please read the contents of this agreement. If you are sure it is correct, please sign it. I will send someone to Chang'an to ask your majesty to make a decision. If there is any dispute, I will turn around and leave. It is up to you to beat or kill me. But I have to say in advance that if it causes unrest in Hexi and even affects the strategic deployment of the Marshal, the Anxi Army and the Ministry of War will never let it go. Don't say I didn't warn you!"

Niu Jinda took the agreement without saying a word, and signed his name at the end without even looking at it.

Su Liangsi pushed the agreement in front of An Yuanshou, and seeing that he was hesitant, he frowned and asked, "Does Fanhe County Lord have any disputes?"

An Yuanshou's face was as gloomy as water and his heart was burning with anger. How could he not have controversy when the century-old foundation of the An family was destroyed?
However, no matter how unwilling he was, he could do nothing about it due to the current situation.

He signed the agreement with gritted teeth and wide eyes, then threw the brush away and cried bitterly while covering his face...

The words were written on paper, and the matter was settled. The An family of Guzang had since fallen from the top to the bottom...

Su Liangsi and Oxford were both hard-hearted people. They turned a blind eye and turned a deaf ear to this. One of them wanted merit so that he could return to Chang'an, and the other wanted stability so that he could smoothly implement the "Tibetan Strategy". As for the rise and fall and survival of the An family, what did it have to do with them?

Besides, this was actually the punishment for An Yuanshou’s previous wrong stance. He had to admit his mistakes and stand at attention when being beaten.

Su Liangsi put the agreement away and said, "I will send someone to deliver it to Chang'an right away. Before your majesty makes a decision and returns, Fanhe City will maintain the status quo. Neither side should provoke, cause trouble, or even launch an offensive. If the situation deteriorates, the consequences will be borne by the party itself."

Niu Jinda said that this could be done, but An Yuanshou said nothing and continued to cry with his face covered.

*****
Guanzhong is a place of great scenic beauty. Since dynasties established their capital there, Mount Li has been like a "back garden". The mountains are majestic and the scenery is beautiful. People can take a bath in warm water in winter to ward off the cold and stay in villas in summer to escape the heat. There are countless royal manors, villas of the rich and powerful, Taoist temples and ancient temples hidden among the gullies, forests and springs.

Inside a temple on the southern slope of Mount Li, Li Junxian stood under the eaves and watched a carriage decorated with the royal family emblem drive out of the courtyard with towering ancient trees and disappear in the snow. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart for the miserable life of the princess of the Tang Dynasty.

For Li Junxian, who was in charge of the "Hundred Cavalry Division" and was ordered by the emperor to monitor the dignitaries and ministers, he would naturally not mistake the luxurious four-wheeled carriage that had just driven out as belonging to Princess Baling.

It was snowing heavily, and the princess came all the way from Chang'an. It seemed that she did not shy away from people...

A monk came up behind him and bowed, saying, "Duke Yue has been waiting for General Li for a long time. Please come in and meet him."

Li Junxian turned his head to look, without saying anything, he pushed open the door and entered the temple.

Compared with the "elite route" of Taoism, Buddhism is more concerned with spreading its teachings and recruiting disciples. Therefore, the disciples of Buddhism are of mixed quality. Rather than believing in Buddha, it is better to say that these people use the identity of Buddhism to engage in dirty things, such as private lending, annexing land, intervening in lawsuits, and even this temple with a Buddhist sign is actually a high-end "club", where the people who come and go are all the dignitaries in Chang'an, and the privacy is extremely good...

The so-called jingshe is actually a luxuriously decorated house. The main hall is covered with gorgeous Persian carpets, famous paintings and calligraphy are hung on the walls, and the furniture is extremely luxurious.

The maid, dressed in light clothes and gauze, had a slender figure with exquisite curves, and her beautiful features were looming. She led Li Junxian to a room on the left with light steps.

The room was filled with steam and the view was dim. A large bathtub came into view. Fang Jun was lying on his back, leaning against the wall of the bathtub. He had broad shoulders, a thick back and strong muscles.

Compared to the thin-skinned Chai Lingwu, he is indeed more appealing to Princess Baling and she flocks to him...

"What are you standing there for? Take off your clothes and come in for a bath to get rid of the cold."

Fang Jun, who was in the hot spring pool, picked up a glass of iced wine beside him and took a sip, then waved to Li Junxian.

Li Junxian glanced at the hot spring water in the pool and said, "I have military duties to attend to, so I can't stay for long. I'll just say a few words and leave."

He had seen Princess Baling leave with his own eyes. God only knew whether this pool had witnessed a friendship like Guan and Bao, let alone whether there was any extra joy flowing in it... He felt tense all over just thinking about it, and he would never go down there even if he was beaten to death.

Fang Jun stood up from the pool and walked out of it. Li Junxian was surprised when he saw him, and a sigh of shame appeared in his heart...

The maid came forward and wiped the water droplets off her body with a snow-white towel, and then put a soft robe on her.

Fang Jun invited Li Junxian out of the bath and into another clean room, where they sat opposite each other on a mat by the window on the warm floor. When the maid brought a pot of tea over, Fang Jun waved his hand to dismiss her and poured tea for Li Junxian himself.

Li Junxian thanked him, took the teacup and took a sip. Seeing the snow falling outside the window and the steam rising between the trees, he couldn't help but sigh, "When it comes to enjoyment, few people in the world can compare to the Duke of Yue."

Unlike others who indulge in extravagance, Fang Jun seems to care more about the state of "harmony between man and nature". Ordinary objects can reveal a kind of exquisiteness that returns to nature...

Fang Jun took a sip of tea and asked, "General, why did you come here without being heard and without even taking a bath? Could it be that you have some feelings about life and want to find a confidant to talk to and find spiritual resonance?"

"Haha, Duke Yue is joking."

Li Junxian smiled to himself: "You don't know how much I envy your free and easy life..."

After a pause, he whispered, "There is nothing wrong with Li Anyan, but there is a problem with his brother Li Siliang."

Fang Jun raised his eyebrows: "What's the problem?"

Li Anyan was born in the Dongqiu Li family, which was the same clan as the Longxi Li family. His wife was born in the Xingyang Zheng family, and was the sister of Li Jiancheng's crown princess Zheng Guanyin. Therefore, Li Anyan and Li Jiancheng were brothers-in-law. Li Jiancheng did trust Li Anyan very much. When Li Jiancheng was executed, Li Anyan changed his allegiance and pledged allegiance to Emperor Li II. He performed very well and gained the trust of Emperor Li II and his son, and was appointed as the General of the Central Army to guard the Eastern Palace.

It is said that Emperor Li II was very courageous. After eliminating Li Jiancheng, he spared all the former officials of the Eastern Palace and tried hard to win over the best among them. Most of these people also performed well after joining Emperor Li II. This does not mean that there is something wrong with Li Anyan.

But now, Li Shenfu and other old clan members are jumping up and down and want to do something ill, but they have never been seen secretly colluding with any generals... Li Shenfu is not a fool. A rebellion without the support of the military is just a minor threat. How can it accomplish anything great?

Therefore, as long as Li Shenfu was determined to rebel, he must have already had some connection with a certain general.

If we can't find this person, then everyone will be a suspect.

Thus, Li Anyan, who was guarding the Eastern Palace, came into his sight...

"Li Siliang and Li Wenliang, the youngest son of the Prince of Xiangyi, were close friends, as close as brothers and as close as Guan Yu and Bao Bao. It is possible that they were not involved."

Li Junxian paused, frowned and said, "But it's just a suspicion. If Li Anyan really harbored hatred and endured humiliation, why did he keep his troops in place and not make any mistakes during the previous two mutinies?"