My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

Chapter 26 Li Chengqian: Father, please retract your order!

After Chengxin had thoroughly investigated the situation outside the cave, he recounted it to his ten Turkic warriors.

Everyone was terrified; who wasn't afraid of Li Shimin?

Feng Ji said, "Fear is useless! Li Shimin and his men are about to sneak over. Rather than sitting here and waiting to die, I'd better go out and lure them away. That way, you'll be safe."

The sharpshooter, Muji, said, "Since you are so righteous and risked your life to save us all, then I will give you a gift."

"What is it?"

"I recently shot and killed a wild boar and skinned it. Wear the boar skin on and pretend to be a wild boar. The skin has been dried and coated with a thick layer of wax, making it extremely hard, comparable to a shield. It might just save your life!"

"Make me dress up as a wild boar? Wouldn't that make me their prey? How could you even think of that!"

"Li Shimin is here to hunt today. If you disguise yourself as a wild boar, he will be interested in you, and that will help you lure them away."

Today, Feng Jishe was going all out. He stomped his foot and gritted his teeth: "Fine, if I don't die, you'll have to treat me to half a jar of Du Kang wine later!"

"Alright, I'll take you anywhere, even to Pingkangfang Beili, to have a good time!"

So Feng Jishe put the wild boar skin on his body, bent down, placed his hands on the ground, and rushed out of the cave.

Sure enough, he caught Li Shimin's eye.

Li Shimin led his men in pursuit, truly mistaking him for a wild boar.

Li Shimin fired several arrows, one of which pierced Feng Jishe's buttocks, nearly killing him with pain.

As he ran through the pain, he cursed inwardly, "Mujishe, you bastard!"

Didn't you say that wild boar hide is harder than a shield? How did it get shot through?

"You just wait! I'll go back, skin you alive, dry your skin, and see if it's as hard as a shield."

Because Feng Jishe's lightness skill was unparalleled, he was ultimately able to escape.

Li Shimin reined in his warhorse, wiping the sweat from his brow: "It's been a few years since I've been on the battlefield, and I've gotten rusty. I actually let it get away."

Chang He said, "Your Majesty is a master archer. It's not that Your Majesty's archery is inaccurate, but that the wild boar was smaller than the average wild boar and ran too fast for our warhorses to catch up. Even so, I saw it very clearly, and it still hit Your Majesty's arrow."

Li Shimin nodded: "This wild boar is indeed about three sizes smaller than an ordinary wild boar."

Overall, Li Shimin was in a good mood today because he had hunted far more prey than Li Chengqian, which made him feel very proud.

In fact, if Li Chengqian had taken today's hunt seriously, he would have caught more than just a pheasant.

However, he recalled that when Prince Qi, Yang Jian, and his father, Emperor Yang of Sui, were hunting together, Prince Qi ordered his men to drive all the prey to his side. Prince Qi caught a lot of prey, while Emperor Yang of Sui caught nothing.

This incident greatly angered Emperor Yang of Sui.

Emperor Yang of Sui originally intended to make the Prince of Qi the crown prince, but later abandoned the idea.

Therefore, Li Chengqian thought that Yang Jian was being clever for his own good, and he must never do what he did.

Seeing that Chengxin and the ten Turkic warriors were safe and sound, Li Chengqian felt relieved.

"Chengqian," Li Shimin called out.

Li Chengqian rode up to Li Shimin and bowed, saying, "Your subject is here."

"I have heard that your archery skills are outstanding. You once practiced shooting at targets in the Imperial Guards' training ground and hit the bullseye with every arrow. However, you did not seem to perform very well today."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian thought to himself that his father was indeed very aware of his whereabouts, even knowing about his shooting practice at the military training ground: "Father, my archery skills are sometimes accurate and sometimes not. Occasionally, I hit the bullseye, but that's just by chance."

"That won't do. Back in the day, when I was fighting on the battlefield, I was surrounded by enemy troops many times. I managed to repel them with this bow and even killed many enemy generals. Without excellent archery skills, it would be almost impossible to break through the encirclement."

You need to practice more.

"Your Majesty is right, I have remembered it."

Li Shimin looked sharply at Li Chengqian: "I heard you went to Princess Hengyang's residence and met with Ashina She'er."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian was even more alarmed, thinking that nothing could be kept from his father.

Thinking of this, he said, "Yes, Father."

"So, what did you talk about?"

"Your Majesty, I have arranged the marriage between Princess Hengyang and Ashina She'er, and they have already exchanged tokens of their love."

"What?" Li Shimin's face darkened upon hearing this. "Who told you to do this? Aren't you just playing the fool?"

Ashina She'er was a Turk; how did he become a prince consort of the Tang Dynasty?

Faced with Li Shimin's scolding, Li Chengqian was somewhat flustered, but on the surface he remained calm and said calmly, "Father, I have a different opinion on this matter."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

"Firstly, Princess Hengyang has reached the age of marriage, but she has not yet found her ideal partner. You are busy with government affairs all day long and do not make arrangements for her."

This time, she and Ashina She'er fell in love at first sight; it was a match made in heaven.

Secondly, although Ashina She'er suffered a defeat, he was still a hero.

He once served as Dubu Khan and enjoyed high prestige among the Turks. It is not impossible for him to make a comeback.

Thirdly, I remember that at the beginning of the founding of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu of Han was besieged on Baideng Mountain by Modu with 400,000 iron cavalry. Later, Liu Bang used Chen Ping's plan and was able to break through the siege.

After Liu Bang returned, he followed Liu Jing's advice and made peace with the Xiongnu through marriage, which resulted in decades of peace between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu.

Now, our Great Tang Dynasty has only been established for a short time, and everything is in need of rebuilding. We need to recuperate and develop production. If Princess Hengyang and Ashina She'er were to become husband and wife, it would be entirely beneficial to stabilizing the situation of the Great Tang Dynasty.

Fourthly, I believe that Your Majesty's decree to expel all Turks from Chang'an is somewhat extreme. There are good and bad Turks, mediocre and talented people. We cannot simply banish them all from Chang'an.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Jin Midi was given an important position.

Jin Ridi was originally the crown prince of the Xiongnu Xiutu King. After surrendering to the Han Dynasty, he was extremely loyal to Emperor Wu of Han.

Wasn't it he who thwarted the plot by the Embroidered-Robed Envoy and Ma Heluo to assassinate Emperor Wu of Han?

Without Jin Midi's protection, Emperor Wu of Han might have been assassinated.

Before his death, Emperor Wu of Han appointed him as one of the four regents.

Jin Ridi also devoted himself to the cause until his death.

In my opinion, Ashina She'er is a man of great loyalty and gratitude. If Your Majesty treats him with respect, I believe he may be even more loyal to the Tang Dynasty than Jin Ridi was to the Han Dynasty.

Wouldn't it be much better to have one more friend than one more enemy?

Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to grant the marriage between my aunt and Ashina She'er, and to rescind the order to expel the Turks.

Li Shimin was taken aback by Li Chengqian's words and stared at him blankly for a long time without saying a word.

Chang He and Su Gui, standing behind them, were both worried for Li Chengqian.

After a long silence, Li Shimin let out a sigh of relief: "It seems you have truly grown up and have your own thoughts now."

"Father, Ashina She'er has one more request."

"What request?"

"He asked his father to lend him troops so he could go back and conquer Xue Yantuo's tribe."

"Borrow troops?" Li Shimin shook his head. "The conflict between Xue Yantuo's tribe and the Turks is an internal conflict among the Western Regions. They are killing each other. No matter which country loses, it will be a good thing for our Great Tang."

We have just recovered the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. Although we have won the victory, we have also paid a heavy price.

The Tang Dynasty was surrounded by other powerful states such as Tuyuhun, Western Turks, Goguryeo, and Tibet, all of which were eyeing it covetously.

At this time, when we are preparing our troops and conserving our strength, where would I find any extra soldiers to lend to him?

"This—." Li Chengqian couldn't force the issue after hearing his father's words, but judging from his father's tone, it seemed that he had already made some concessions.

"Today, I've hunted some game. Let's go back and have a good drink!"

"promise!"

Everyone was delighted to hear that the Emperor was going to bestow wine upon them.

On that day, Li Shimin indeed rescinded the order to expel all Turks from Chang'an; however, he still ordered the arrest of those whose behavior was suspicious.

night.

The night was dark and the wind was high.

Su Wan's boudoir.

Su Wan thought that Li Chengqian had grown taller, and with spring approaching and the weather gradually warming up, he would soon be able to take off his cotton-padded clothes.

She is sewing a long gown.

Su Gui arrived and asked, "Sister, this dress is so beautiful, was it made for me?"

Su Wan rolled her eyes at him: "You're dreaming. This is for the Crown Prince."

Besides, you're the captain of the Imperial Guard now. Don't you Imperial Guards get issued uniforms?

Su Gui curled her lip: "You can't wear those military uniforms every day! They weigh dozens of kilograms, helmet and armor included, who would want to wear them?"

"You're wrong about that. Armor is for self-defense. You're a soldier in the Imperial Guard. Do you know when there might be danger? You must be vigilant at all times and never be careless."

"Sister is right."

Afterwards, Su Gui recounted the recent events to Su Wan, who was also surprised upon hearing them.

"You've discovered a Turk?"

"Yes, his name is Ashina She'er. He fled to Princess Hengyang's residence, and unexpectedly, Princess Hengyang took a liking to him. He turned misfortune into good fortune. Isn't that strange?"

"This is what they call a destined meeting from afar. You two accidentally formed a beautiful marriage, which is a good thing."

You said you went hunting in the Zhongnan Mountains with the Emperor?

"Indeed. However, it is a bit of a pity that the Crown Prince only managed to hunt one pheasant, not as many as the Emperor."

After hearing this, Su Wan put down her work: "To be honest, you're still too green, far inferior to the Crown Prince. When will you ever grow up? Why do you think about things so simply?"

"The Crown Prince has done the right thing."

"Why?" Su Gui asked, puzzled.

"If the Crown Prince hunts more prey than the Emperor, where will the Emperor's face be?"

Su Gui scratched her head: "Sis, what you said seems to make some sense."

"You should learn from the Crown Prince. Now that you are the captain of the Imperial Guard, you should know to be humble and low-key, and not to be arrogant and domineering."

Don't look down on others just because our father is the Secretary. Our father is our father, and you are you. You have to rely on your own strength to make a name for yourself.

Remember to maintain good relationships with your comrades; in critical moments, they will be willing to go to great lengths for you.

If you offend someone, they'll stab you in the back.

Never forget your mission: to protect the Crown Prince and ensure his smooth ascension to the throne.

"Sister, I've got it."

Just then, Jingyao rushed in from outside. He first bowed to Su Wan, and then hurriedly said, "Su Gui, why have you left your post again without permission? General Chang is looking for you."

"What is it?"

"I don't know, they only said there was an emergency assembly at the military training ground."

"Understood, I'll go with you right away."

The two bid farewell to Su Wan and headed to the military training ground.

Ganlu Temple.

Li Shimin was drunk and sleeping inside.

Suddenly, a figure rushed out from inside.

There were two guards at the gate. The man had a fierce appearance, with his eyes bulging like a bull's, his tongue sticking out, and his expressionless face. He looked like a judge from the legendary underworld.

One of the guards immediately fainted from fright.

Another guard was also terrified, his hair standing on end, his face pale, and his legs trembling uncontrollably: "A ghost! A demon!"

This guy, who usually seems like a cold-blooded animal, fearless and invincible, was now unable to move and could only watch helplessly as the "devil" left.

The so-called evil spirit was none other than Princess Hengyang.

She learned that Li Shimin was drunk that day, so she sneaked into the Ganlu Palace.

Everyone knows she is Li Shimin's sister, and she has a violent temper. Who would dare to stop her?

After she entered the Ganlu Hall, she called out several times, but Li Shimin was so drunk that he was completely unaware of her presence.

She then seized the opportunity to steal the tiger tally from the Imperial Guards, and then put on the mask given to her by Ashina She'er before coming out.

Even she herself hadn't expected that the mask would be so powerful!

After Princess Hengyang returned to her residence, she handed the imperial guard's tiger tally to Ashina She'er, saying, "The Emperor is drunk and asleep."

Go quickly to the Imperial Guard training grounds to mobilize troops. I hope that after you have avenged yourself, you will return the Tiger Tally and the army, and do not forget the affection this princess has for you.

Ashina She'er embraced her, too moved to speak: "Princess, your affection for me is higher than the mountains and deeper than the sea. How could I forget you?"

You've been a huge help to me this time.

But what will you do if I transfer the troops?

"It's alright. My elder brother loves me very much. Even if he knows that I did it, I don't think he will do anything to me."

How many troops do you need to mobilize?

"The quality of an army is more important than its quantity; two thousand cavalrymen are sufficient."

"Isn't it a bit too little?"

"That's already quite a lot! Back then, Xiang Yu defeated Liu Bang's 560,000-strong allied army with 30,000 cavalry. I think it shouldn't be too much of a problem for me to use 2,000 cavalry to annihilate Xue Yantuo's 100,000-strong army."

"Huh? Two thousand against one hundred thousand? That's a huge disparity in troop strength!"

"It's alright. They think I've already suffered a defeat and am completely demoralized. They would never expect me to make a comeback. I'll use my elite cavalry to launch a surprise attack on their camp. They'll be caught off guard. Having too many men will only slow them down and cause them to miss their opportunity."

"I don't know much about military operations, but anyway, you should be careful."

"Princess, don't worry, I'll be fine. Anyway, I want to thank you."

"We're already engaged, we're family now, why are you saying these things?"

"Then I'll take my leave."

Ashina She'er said, then put the tiger tally in his pocket and headed to the Imperial Guard training ground.