The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 1154: The Court Elects a Commander
Logically speaking, Hou Junji is a person who is happy to hear about war, so there is no reason for him to pretend to be sick to avoid fighting.

In addition, everyone knew that Hou Junji was killed by an assassin, which triggered his old injuries and illness, and this happened before the chaos on the grassland.

There are countless noble families and meritorious officials in the court now. As the emperor's greatest reliance, Hou Junji is far from the time when he will arouse the emperor's fear and be abandoned after his death. Therefore, Changsun Wuji and the noble families did not suspect that Hou Junji was deliberately avoiding him.

To prevent outsiders from doubting one's motives, this was probably the first lesson Hou Junji learned from the emperor's chess game.

Hou Junji was right. Changsun Wuji came to see Hou Junji just to get a feel for the situation in order to promote the general elected by the aristocratic families to the position in the next step.

If Hou Junji can lead the troops, he will naturally have to find a way to deal with it.

When Changsun Wuji saw that Hou Junji looked like he was dying, he felt relieved. He even pretended to comfort him out of concern for a while, and finally left in a happy mood.

Just after Changsun Wuji left, Zhang Xuansu came again two days later. Hou Junji also understood why the emperor asked him to pretend to be sick.

This is clearly an attempt to avoid disaster!

Only if he was sick and unable to lead the troops could he reasonably avoid the gazes of the nobles, the instigation of his own people, stay away from the world of folly in the court, and survive this catastrophe safely. In fact, the severity of the current situation has far exceeded Hou Junji's ability to bear.

This is definitely a high-end game, and the ones who want to be eliminated are the smart people.

Even if the nobles are so powerful, they will inevitably be defeated and sink into the sand. What's more, he is just a warrior. If he is scratched by the meat grinder, wouldn't it be a waste?

As for how many civil and military officials would be killed in this disaster, Hou Junji couldn't care less.

He doesn't care about anyone now except his daughter and grandson.

After Zhang Xuansu left in disappointment, Hou Junji made up his mind that he would never come out unless the emperor came to invite him personally.

The struggle at the core of power is truly horrific.

On the surface, they seemed harmonious and peaceful, but secretly, they were extremely dangerous, fighting to the death, making people tremble and shrink from the bottom of their souls. Hou Junji cursed inwardly, this was simply not something that a mere warrior like him could handle.

Fighting on the battlefield can also help you know who is the enemy and who is the friend.

But in the power field, you know whether the superior who sent you to the battlefield has already prepared a deadly situation waiting for you. The ferocious Turks are not necessarily enemies, and the Longxi Flying Cavalry who protect the imperial power are not necessarily friends.

Who the hell can tell who the emperor is trying to plot against?

By then, the emperor and the nobles, who are bloodthirsty, will not care about a crappy general like me.

Hou Junji lay quietly on the bed, looking at the ceiling and smelling the medicinal fragrance in the room. Suddenly, he missed the days when he fought in the Qin King's tent.
He and the generals like Duan Zhixuan and Dugu Yanyun only fought and charged into battle every day. When there was no battle, several generals gathered together, ate big chunks of meat, drank big gulps of wine, boasted and chatted, and when they were drunk, they picked up their spears and practiced for a while. How happy and comfortable they were.

Ever since the Prince of Qin became emperor and his daughter married Li Chengqian, Hou Junji has never lived a comfortable life.

He was busy fighting for power all day, fighting against Li Ke, the King of Shu, and Li Tai, the King of Wei. He also had to face the suspicion from Li Shimin for a long time. Later, he searched all over the world for a son-in-law. Finally, Li Chengqian returned and inherited the throne. His daughter became the queen and his grandson became the prince.

When he thought he could finally enjoy two years of peace and tranquility, the emperor started fighting with the nobles again. The situation became even more complicated and dangerous, so much so that he, a brave and fearless general, had to use illness as an excuse to stay away.

Ugh.
Hou Junji raised his head and sighed, feeling an endless sense of exhaustion. People in the world desperately pursue fame and fortune, but how could they know what kind of life these high-ranking officials who seem majestic and powerful on the surface live in fear and anxiety every day!

When will this damn life end?

"Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"

The ear-piercing cheers of the mountains rang out in the Taiji Hall. Li Yan, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, slowly walked up to the altar. He glanced around majestically, waved his sleeves, and the pearl curtain hanging in front of the crown swayed. "Everyone, please stand up."

"Thank you very much"

All the civil and military officials stood up, silently divided into two groups, and stood in line.

"My Lords, today's court meeting will only discuss one matter."

Li Yan sat down on the dragon chair and said, "After discussions among several important officials in the central government, the court has urgently mobilized 200,000 cavalry from the north to rush to Hebei to cooperate with the 500,000 infantry around Hebei Road to encircle and suppress the Turks."

"What needs to be determined now is the person who will lead this army."

"Everyone, please speak freely and elect a capable commander to pacify Hebei as soon as possible so that the people of the north can have a peaceful new year." 'Buzz'

The hall quickly became lively, and the ministers became excited. Military power was of utmost importance, and each faction in the court wanted to push the generals close to their faction to increase their own strength. Everyone knew that although the Turks were making a big fuss now, they were actually trapped.

After the emperor established the Finance Temple, the court was not short of money and food, and the troops were also raised. The Right Wise King of the Turks also stayed in the western grasslands honestly and had no intention of going south to add insult to injury. It was just an isolated army, and as long as the army arrived, it would naturally be crushed into powder.

This is simply a merit that is picked up for free. Who wouldn't want to fight for it? Even if you can't get it, you still want to take advantage of it.

"Your Majesty, I recommend Li Ji, the Duke of England."

Li Deqing, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of War, immediately spoke up: "Everyone knows that Duke Ying followed the emperor in battle for many years, and spent a long time guarding the northern border. He participated in many battles with the Turks, and is very familiar with the Turks' fighting style."

"During the Battle of Dingxiang in the third year of Zhenguan, he made great contributions."

"Duke Ying is young and strong, and it is time for him to take on important tasks. Therefore, I suggest that the battle in Hebei be led by Li Ji."

Nowadays, the old generals of the Tang Dynasty have died, and those who followed Li Shimin to conquer the world have either died of injuries or are too old. Although Li Yan's group of Eastern Palace tutors includes outstanding generals of the new era, the oldest of these people is only in his thirties.

In a peaceful era where seniority and merit are important, isn't it too early for them?
After Li Yan returned to Chang'an and succeeded to the throne, these generals from the Eastern Palace were no longer in a hurry. With Li Yan's appeasement, most of them stayed in Chang'an to command the troops in the powerful position of General of the Central Army.

They are at least ten years away from being able to command a large army and take charge of the overall situation.

Li Ji was at a critical juncture, and all factions were trying to win him over. Among them, Xu Jinzhong recommended Li Ji to Li Yan, asking the emperor to take advantage of this war to show favor to the general and win Li Ji over.

However, the nobles also valued Li Ji and rushed to recommend him. Li Deqing was a member of the Longxi Li family. He used his influence to pressure others. If the emperor agreed, it would be a favor for them. If he did not agree, it would offend Li Ji and push this brave general to their side.

Li Yan, who was sitting on the dragon throne, frowned slightly. No matter what, the cost and gain of winning over Li Ji were not proportional.

"In terms of seniority, I'm afraid no general in the court who can still fight can defeat Duke Lu."

Cui Benshan, the Minister of Rites, then said, "Lord Li mentioned the Battle of Dingxiang. At that time, Duke Lu was the deputy commander of the Dingxiang Campaign. Duke Lu was more experienced in dispatching various parties and coordinating the overall situation, and his prestige in the army was also higher."

"It can be said that apart from Duke Wei Li Jing, no one else can beat him."

"Besides, Duke Lu is only five years older than Duke Ying and is in his prime, so I think Duke Lu is more suitable to be the commander of the Hebei Campaign."

Cheng Yaojin's second wife was from the Cui family. Although they were from the Qinghe Cui family, the two Cuis were from the same lineage, so Cheng Yaojin was naturally one of their own in the court. In addition, news came from Hebei that the Turkic army had risen up and was heading south towards Heng and Ding states.

Cui Benshan couldn't wait to let Cui's son-in-law go to escort Cui.

In fact, both Li Ji and Cheng Yaojin were good at fighting. No matter who went, he would be able to easily defeat the enemy and win.

On the surface, the difference seems small, but in fact there is a world of difference.

Different people have different focuses when giving specific commands. Li Ji represents the interests of the Guanlong nobles. If he had been a little more cautious when making decisions on the battlefield, he could have borrowed the help of the Turks and greatly weakened their power.

Cheng Yaojin would protect the interests of the Hebei nobles at all costs. The Cui family certainly did not want to be raided by the Turks or taken advantage of by the Guanlong nobles after defeating the Turks.

"Your Majesty, I recommend you."

Several veterans were pushed out one after another, but none of them were very powerful.

Several important officials in the central government did not speak, but they all nominated their close military commanders, but did not personally show up, and asked their subordinates to do it for them. Important officials in the central government must pay attention to their reputation. If they go into battle bare-chested and fail to take down the enemy, it will be embarrassing.

There are unspoken rules in court meetings. When faced with problems, the bigwigs usually let their trusted confidants take action. This shows their attitude while leaving room for maneuver. Regardless of success or failure, they can act flexibly.

Every important official has "white gloves". Those who are familiar with the inside story only need to see which younger brother is taking action to know the true attitude of the big boss behind the scenes.

Although there were many people who nominated him, the two with the strongest support were Li Ji and Cheng Yaojin. One had the support of the Guanlong nobles, and the other had the support of the Hebei clan. If nothing unexpected happened, the final result would definitely be between these two.

Li Yan looked at Zhang Xuansu, one of the civil officials. The old man lowered his head and said nothing, looking very depressed. If Hou Junji could not come out, he would not have the opportunity to take charge of the overall situation. He was too weak to pick such a big peach.

(End of this chapter)