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

Chapter 926: The Aristocratic Family Surrenders
However, Fang Xuanling did not completely agree with Li Jing's remarks. He felt that this was also because the Right Wise King rose too quickly. It had been less than a year since he killed Jie Li and took over the Turks in the autumn of last year.

Now, they are about to take action against the Tang Dynasty’s homeland.

Li Jing finally sighed: "Now that the Turks are strong, it is better to make peace than to go to war. It's just some money and goods. If a war breaks out, the losses will be more than ten times this. Prime Minister Fang, you should still persuade the emperor to hold back his anger for the time being and put the overall situation first."

"I'm afraid I can't do this alone. I need Duke Wei to help persuade him."

Fang Xuanling said: "In fact, the noble families in the court are also afraid of such a domineering Right Wise King. Some advocate peace, while others advocate war. If the battle report from the front arrives tomorrow, perhaps the overall situation can be settled."

"If Yi Nan is really defeated, then my Tang Dynasty will no longer have a chance to win."

"Then we can take the opportunity to persuade the emperor to step down. Perhaps he will accept the conditions and negotiate peace with the Turks."

Faced with such a life-and-death crisis, Li Jing could not stay out of it, so he nodded and said, "Okay, I will go with you tomorrow."

At noon on the second day, when Fang Xuanling and Li Jing arrived in Chang'an, the city was already under full martial law. Teams of soldiers were constantly patrolling at the city gates. Everyone had a solemn look on their faces, and the atmosphere was filled with a murderous aura.

After asking the guards at the city gate, they learned that Lingzhou had arrived at Chang'an City in an express train of 800 miles early in the morning. The Turks had already moved south, and the 300,000 troops of Yinan, the commander-in-chief of Jinshan, had suffered heavy casualties and had been defeated by the Turks.

The war has begun, and the Tang Dynasty lost its first battle and lost an arm.

The two looked at each other, both shocked.

They all exclaimed that the Right Wise King was so quick!

Lingzhou is considered an important town within the Great Wall. It is located in the northwest, only 1,200 miles away from Chang'an, and can be reached in two days by fast horse.

Across the Yellow River and the Great Wall is Xiaoguan.

After passing Xiaoguan, there are Qingzhou and Jingzhou, and then the flat area of ​​the capital, which is not far from Chang'an.

Will the Turkic army go from Lingzhou, bypassing the Yellow River and the Dingxiang defense line and heading straight into the interior?
The people in the city were in a state of panic, as if it was the end of the world. Many people ignored the imperial ban and went to the streets to buy large quantities of food and other things. The streets were in chaos and the ground was in a mess. In just one night, the once stable, prosperous, and extravagant Chang'an City became like a chaotic world.

When Li Jing saw this scene, he sighed and said that the prosperous Tang Dynasty before him could not withstand the impact. Many people had come from troubled times, and the slightest disturbance would remind them of that chaotic world.

The two men's carriage passed through the streets and arrived at Taiji Palace.

After entering the palace and passing through the numerous gates, many important officials had gathered outside Chengqing Hall, including some officials from aristocratic families.

When those people saw Fang Xuanling, they hurried forward and said, "Master Fang, you came at the right time. I heard that the emperor has made up his mind to fight the Turks to the death. This won't do. We in the Tang Dynasty are all infantry. How can we be a match for the Turkic cavalry?

"Yes, and the Turks have won a series of victories on the grasslands this time. They are in high spirits, carrying the momentum of a great victory. They are like a mountain pressing down on our heads. With 800,000 people, how can our Tang Dynasty resist them?"

Before the man finished speaking, another person rushed up and said urgently, "Early this morning, Lingzhou was in danger. The Grand Commander Li Daozon sent a military report that the night before yesterday, 500,000 Turkic troops marched south. Under the leadership of the vanguard general Gu Rentu, they broke through two camps of the Xueyantuo, and the Yi people suffered heavy losses."

"He led the remaining troops to flee westward in panic. The battle hasn't even started yet, and the Turks have won another victory. How should we fight the next battle?"

"I think we should avoid the sharp edge and take a long-term view!"

"That's right, Lord Fang, Lord Wei, you must persuade the emperor not to go to war if peace talks are possible. The timing is indeed not favorable now."

Everyone was talking at once, with anxious looks on their faces, and it was obvious that they had no expectations for the upcoming battle.

Fang Xuanling was delighted when he saw this. Before, when they heard Hou Junji recite the half-verse of the poem in which the Right Wise King expressed his hatred for the aristocratic families, many people were ready to settle accounts with the Right Wise King. But only two days had passed and after a defeat, these people were scared out of their wits.

Thinking of this, Fang Xuanling's heart moved, and he said with difficulty: "Everyone, everyone knows that the Turks are powerful and are now at the peak of their military power. It is difficult to resist. You also know the conditions proposed by the Right Wise King."

"Your Majesty can think of ways to deal with matters such as marriage alliances, trade, and food and cloth."

"But there is no gold in the treasury! Ever since the last emperor started his army in Jinyang, there have been wars year after year. After Your Majesty ascended the throne, there have been disasters in the interior of China, floods in Luoyang, or locust plagues. There have been disasters almost every year."

"Even so, the emperor still tightened his belt and fought a war."

"Thanks to the good weather and good harvests in the past two years, the national treasury has accumulated some savings, but the emperor really can't take out this gold!"

Upon hearing this, the Minister of Rites Wang Gui stepped forward and said, "Prime Minister Fang, this gold cannot be eaten or drunk. What do the Turks want it for? Why don't we discuss with them and exchange it for food, grass, cloth, or perhaps women?"

Fang Xuanling felt contemptuous in his heart, but said calmly, "Sir Wang, how could General Hou not know this? I had already told the Right Wise King when we were outside the Great Wall, but the Right Wise King insisted that the rest could be discussed, but not even one ounce of gold could be lost."

"The other supplies were for the Turks, but the gold was his own."

Now everyone understood that the Turkic people's things could be discussed, but what the Right Wise King wanted could not be compromised at all. Wang Gui was the highest-ranking official of the Taiyuan Wang family in the court, and also the representative of the aristocratic families in the court.

In fact, as soon as Hou Junji mentioned the conditions, Wang Gui knew that the gold item would most likely fall into the hands of the aristocratic families. After hundreds of years of turmoil, the gold was collected by the aristocratic families, and almost every family had hundreds of thousands of taels of gold.

On the contrary, the royal family has been losing their savings over the past decade in order to consolidate the imperial power. Everyone knows the court's financial situation. They can still provide some food and silk, but they can't even get 100,000 taels of gold.

But it is easy to get in but hard to get out. Gold is one of the family's heritage for every noble family, and they will not touch it lightly unless it is a dangerous moment. On the surface, the people attacked the Right Wise King because of his attitude towards the noble families, but in fact, they just didn't want to take the gold.

"Prime Minister Fang, to be honest, I have already discussed this with the heads of the various families."

Wang Gui turned to look at the ministers in the crowd and saw that they all nodded, so he said with a painful look on his face: "When the Tang Dynasty encounters such a powerful enemy, we cannot stand idly by. We are willing to tide over the difficulties with the emperor."

"As long as the emperor is willing to come forward, we are all willing to lend the emperor one million taels of gold."

'Well'

Fang Xuanling was stunned. These people are really something. Even at this point, they are still just borrowing and not willing to give it back.

Don’t you know that if the skin is gone, the hair will have no place to stay?

Fang Xuanling flicked his sleeves and said, "My Lords, I'm afraid the Emperor will not speak to you for the sake of his reputation."

Seeing Fang Xuanling about to leave, Wang Gui hurriedly stopped him and said, "Prime Minister Fang, please don't be anxious. You know, with so much gold, if it is distributed among the families, each family will have to pay tens of thousands of taels. It is not a small amount. Who wouldn't feel bad?"

"It's just to make these noble families feel better by saying it's a loan. In fact, it's a donation."

"Even if the emperor doesn't need to write an IOU, nor does he need to pay it back, as long as the emperor can remember the loyalty of the major families to the court and take better care of them in all aspects in the future, especially in land reform, and not be so harsh, everyone will be satisfied."

After saying this, Wang Gui winked and smiled a knowing smile to everyone.

Fang Xuanling sighed in his heart. He had long known that gold was not so easy to get.

A thousand-year-old family, a hundred-year-old dynasty, if it weren't for the bad attitude of the Right Wise King, which put these families under tremendous survival pressure, I'm afraid even the emperor couldn't get so much gold by writing an IOU. If there was a choice, these people would rather give the gold directly to the Right Wise King to build a good relationship.

At least it can buy peace, and on the other hand it does not increase Li Shimin's strength.

This time, it was because the Right Wise King rose too quickly, and these people had no time to react. When the Turks retreated, these people would naturally establish contact with the Right Wise King through various channels.

Even so, these people took the opportunity to negotiate terms with the emperor.

For Li Shimin, it is a matter of gratitude to take the gold, and it is natural that he would not have to return it, but he would have to make some concessions in other aspects.

After all, the Tang Dynasty belongs to everyone, and it requires the joint efforts of everyone.

"Okay, since you all have this intention, I will go in and report to the emperor." Fang Xuanling bowed.

With everyone making way for them, he and Li Jing walked into the hall together.

After the notification, Ma Xuanliang let the two in.

When they arrived at Li Shimin's imperial study, they found that there was already someone here, who was Duke of Lu, Hou Junji. They greeted each other.

"Brother Jing, Xuanling, you are here."

Li Shimin handed over the military report in his hand, and said with a heavy face: "I have just sent someone to recruit you. Take a look. This is the military information that Li Daozong sent over 800 miles in an emergency. It contains the details of the Turkic army's surprise attack on the Yinan tribe the night before yesterday."

Fang Xuanling took it and read it carefully for a long time before handing the military report to Li Jing.

Hou Junji was summoned to Chengqing Palace by Li Shimin early in the morning after court was dismissed. They first discussed military intelligence, and then Li Shimin began to inquire about the details of the mission, especially about the words and deeds of the Right Wise King. Hou Junji was struggling to resist.

While thinking and speaking half-truths, he also had to face Li Shimin's frequent questions.

Seeing that he would be exposed if he continued asking, Fang Xuanling and Li Jing just arrived, and Hou Junji breathed a sigh of relief.

After Fang Xuanling and Li Jing finished reading the military report, Li Shimin asked, "Li Daozong pointed out at the end that the Turkic army did not intend to kill all the Xueyantuo tribe. I am afraid there is a conspiracy. I have been thinking hard for a long time but to no avail."

"Brother Jing and Xuanling are both extremely talented people in our Great Tang. Please help me think about what the Turkic people meant by injuring the Yi man instead of killing him."

(End of this chapter)