"You'er, you've made a lot of promise."

Li Shimin looked at Li You's back and said proudly, "How could Li Mu not understand what it means? Isn't this just bragging about his own "seed"? Li Mu doesn't want to flatter, but facing Li Shimin's gaze, it seems that something will happen if he doesn't flatter. He grinned and said 'from the heart': "Your Majesty, there is a folk saying that dragons give birth to dragons and phoenixes give birth to phoenixes, and rats give birth to holes. After all, Li You is your biological son. It's not normal to inherit your bloodline. "

Li Shimin stared at Li Mu's eyes: "Normal?"

"Of course normal!" Li Mu replied with confidence and decisiveness. Li Shimin smiled with satisfaction and sat down next to Li Mu. Li Mu didn't dare to let him sit down, so he quickly gave up his main seat. Li Shimin sat down without hesitation. He looked at Li Mu, and after a while, he spoke, "You have lost weight after half a year of going to sea."

"Oh," Li Mu wanted to say something, but for some reason, he was too lazy to say the hypocritical flattery. When he spoke, he only sighed.

"I have fought a small battle in the past six months."

"I heard that." Li Mu said hurriedly.

It is said to be a small battle, but it is actually not small. It is just because the battle was fought too quickly, the casualties were small, and the military supplies consumed were also small, so it was called a small battle.

Li Mu had already expected that this battle was inevitable. As early as the Tang Dynasty and Turkic were rubbing against Tuyuhun and when Tuyuhun stabbed the knife in the back, Li Mu knew that Tuyuhun was trying to die.

When Li Shimin poured out his hands, he would definitely deal with it.

After the spring plowing this year, it happened to be right. Originally, Li Shimin planned to move Goguryeo, but Li Ji's army was transferred. But Li Mu persuaded him to stop and did not take action this year. The war in the east stopped, and the materials prepared for this war were saved. After summer, Li Shimin asked the Ministry of Revenue to do statistics. This year is another bumper year. There is no need to worry about food and fodder next year, so what are the remaining materials last year?

So Li Shimin sent an imperial edict and sent all the houses to Li Xiaogong, the Dingxiang Protectorate.

Li Xiaogong naturally understood what Li Shimin meant. After the materials were in place, Li Xiaogong colluded with him, no, it should be said to be a contact. He contacted the 36 countries in the Western Regions and asked each country to send troops. He then borrowed the brotherly country of Turkic soldiers and horses of 20,000 troops and horses of Gaochang. He also recruited 15,000 troops and horses organized by refugees for training, and gathered more than 40,000 people, claiming to be 100,000. He found an excuse to start a war in Tuyuhun.

After the alliance between the Tang Dynasty and the Turks, Tuyuhun realized that something would happen sooner or later. In the past year, he has been more careful. If he can tolerate it, he will be tolerant, and if he can give in, he will give in. Even a piece of grassland next to the border of the Tang Dynasty was given out, and the people in Tuyuhun were not allowed to grazle. They thought that they had regressed so much. After all, the Celestial Kingdom was shameless. I wouldn't be afraid, you bully me, right?

Facts have proved that Tuyuhun overestimated the face of the Supreme Kingdom of the Celestial Kingdom. Li Shimin was as broad as the sea, but he was more suspicious about the war than anyone else. If you stab me in the back, I will have to fuck you sooner or later. Li Xiaogong is a shameless person. Li Shimin asked him to make excuses. He thought for several days and finally told Tuyuhun that the sheep grazing in our Dingxiang Protectorate Mansion was stolen by you Tuyuhun people. They stole a total of 30,000 horses. Give you three days, either return the sheep or fight, choose?

Is this what a person said?

When King Tuyuhun saw Li Xiaogong's letter, he almost died of a stroke on the spot. Not to mention how nonsense it was that the Dingxiang Protectorate who could be guarded by heavy troops was stolen. Even if there was such a matter, 30,000 sheep! Can you catch all the sheep in this grassland have so many points? It's a big deal. You Tang Dynasty farmed and did not graze, so where did you steal so many sheep?

OK, just accept the defeat and pay the sheep. It’s too late to catch it for three days! Don’t you just want to fight a war?

If you want to fight, you just say it's OK? Isn't this bullying?

It’s unbearable! King Tuyuhun also has a temper. Don’t you want to fight? Then fight!

The battle lasted for seven days.

The real battle ended in three days. For the remaining four days, the Tang coalition forces chased the Tuyuhun king on the land of Tuyuhun. They also collected the sheep from the Tang Dynasty that they "stole" from them, but the number of 30,000 was still a bit exaggerated. The army "collected" for four days, but in the end, they only barely collected 10,000.

The Turkic brothers were divided into three thousand, Gaochang divided into one thousand, and each of the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions divided into dozens of heads. The remaining two thousand became breeding sheep from the Dingxiang Protectorate's Mansion. The pastures near Dingxiang can finally be used. Next time they framed them, they don't have to "come out their mouths."

Of course, this little spoil alone was far from satisfying the appetite of the Tang Dynasty. The Tuyuhun sent envoys to seek peace and finally ceded most of Qinghai Lake to the Tang Dynasty. This matter was considered to be true.

As for Qinghai Lake, Changsun Wuji made great efforts. With the Tang Dynasty's salt industry, Changsun Wuji had to do his best to do his best.

With Qinghai Lake, it will be much more convenient to make salt in the future.

Li Mu was also very happy to learn about this news. With Qinghai Lake, he could not get enough raw materials for making glass in the future. But now, he has no intention of increasing the production of glass, so he did not mention this matter.

After talking about Li Shimin's affairs, Li Mu also reported to Li Shimin what he did in Japan.

Li Shimin was not much surprised by Li Mu's support for Shanbei's eldest brother. Obviously he had known it for a long time. If nothing unexpected happened, in Li Mu's fleet, there were bad people and the eyeliners of the East Factory. Li Mu actually knew it too, and he pretended not to know it. This was a tacit understanding between the king and the minister, and no one wanted to expose this layer of window paper.

"I really didn't expect that the little Japanese country would have such a large silver mine. If I hadn't heard you, I would never believe it." As he said, Li Shimin became angry again: "The little Japanese country, in a small place, dares to be arrogant and call himself the emperor! Do they have me in their eyes? You are good at doing this, and such a bad disciple should make them bow down and surrender. If it weren't for the sea, I would definitely conquer them!"

"There is no need to conquer the enemy." Li Mu quickly advised: "Your Majesty, the frog in the well in Japan has no knowledge. What they call themselves behind closed doors is actually a manifestation of ignorance. For us, what we value them is nothing more than silver mines. There is no need for conquer, and it is not enough to mobilize the troops. So what if we are convinced, won't we still want their silver mine in the end?"

"I understand." Li Shimin snorted and said, "Just say that, you did a good job, differentiated your clan, and watched the tiger fight--" He glanced at Li Mu deeply and said, "This is the emperor's mind. It is not easy for you to understand these at your age."

Li Mu smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, look at me like this. Look up and down, and look left and right. It doesn't look like an emperor, right? There are no emperor's tricks. Some of my scheming are just some cleverness."

Li Shimin smiled and said without comment. He immediately changed the topic and said, "You can just let go of the matter of Japan. I will support you with all my strength." After pausing, he said, "What do you think about the matter of You'er?"

"Well—" Li Mu pondered for a while and said, "Your Majesty, why do you say this score? Is it public or selfish?"

"This is still a matter of public and selfishness?" Li Shimin asked with a smile: "Then you just tell me, what do you mean by me? How do you say this kind of craftsmanship and selfishness?

"Your Majesty, if you are public, I will support Li You." Li Mu explained seriously: "Originally, I also have a lot of doubts about Li You. But after I understand the crew, I found that Li You is really the material."

"Oh?" Li Shimin said curiously: "How do you say this?"

"When he first went out to sea, Li You knew almost nothing. He could not look at maps or waterways. When he met people from foreign countries, he could not communicate with a single word. But when he returned, he could already understand maps and distinguish directions through stars. He judged the weather through the salty sea breeze, and learned at least a dozen languages ​​and simple words of foreign countries-" Li Mu said seriously: "Your Majesty, this cannot be explained by luck alone. This is a talent, a rare talent."

"I often say that there is no waste in this world. Everyone has his own shining points, what he is good at, and the most valuable side." Li Mu glanced at Li Shimin's face and said, "I'm not afraid that Your Majesty doesn't like to listen. Li You, I really didn't see any shining points in him before. But this time I returned from overseas, I saw it."

"He is now a young man with ideals, goals, and willing to fight for it. He will definitely do such a person well. What he needs now is just a trust."

"This is very good." Li Shimin nodded and said, "I can give him trust. Just like I trust you, just let him go. Why do you have the so-called selfishness?"

Li Mu laughed and said, "I am selfish. The place he chose was originally what I wanted to choose."

"Hmm?" Li Shimin frowned and said, "What do you mean?"

"Your Majesty, that is the way I have prepared for myself."

After Li Mu said this, he did not explain more. Li Shimin was stunned for a moment, his expression was a little frozen, and he said for a long time: "Do we monarch and ministers have doubts about this?"

"Your Majesty, I don't know how to express it-" Li Mu pursed his lips and said, "If you ask me, at this moment, do you believe in Your Majesty or not? I can say with certainty that I believe in Your Majesty. But the things in this world will not be determined by whether someone wants or not. At this moment, I believe in Your Majesty. But what about the other time? Maybe there will be a slander around Your Majesty, or maybe I will rebel on one day. This is all an issue."

"I am based on my original intention and do not want to do things that I am sorry to Your Majesty. But I cannot do anything without doing anything. As long as I do things, I will win over a group of people around me. If one day, these people force me to-" Li Mu shook his head and said, "I am afraid that I can't help myself, so what I can do is to prevent and prevent things from developing to that point."

"So, I am taking every step I take is cautious. I want to do more for the Tang Dynasty, but I am afraid I will do too much." Li Mu sighed and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty knows my character. I am a lazy person. I always look for me. When will I go to find trouble when I see me?"

"I have thought about it carefully and finished the work at hand, so I will take a break." Seeing that Li Shimin was about to speak, Li Mu interrupted first and said, "Whether I am leaving a way out or leaving after success, this is my true thought."

"I have two things to do now. The first thing is to open the shipping route. Your Majesty, the real wealth is on the sea. After opening the shipping route, cheap goods in the Tang Dynasty can make ten or even hundreds of times profit by replacing them. Within decades, there is no need to worry about the economy of the Tang Dynasty."

"There is also the use of military force against Goguryeo. I will definitely do what I promised Your Majesty. As early as next year, at the latest year of the year, I will make all preparations so that Your Majesty will have no worries when using military force against Goguryeo."

"After doing these two things, the way out for me is Jiaozhou." Li Mu smiled and said, "Jiaozhou has two benefits. First, it is far away from the Central Plains and the climate is suitable. I can support my elderly care in Jiaozhou and contribute to the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, so I am more at ease."

"There is another advantage that Jiaozhou is not on the island. It is eventually connected with the Central Plains. If one day, I will die of old age. If my children and grandchildren want to come back, they can come back."

"The most important point is that Jiaozhou does not have the conditions for rebellion. Your Majesty and the Dukes of the court will never have to worry. Li Mu will rebel one day and this is impossible."

Li Mu said this absolutely true. Even if Jiaozhou is rich in the future, it is impossible to beat the Tang Dynasty. There are several reasons. First, the people in Jiaozhou live in the tropical areas all year round, and if they are in the Northern Expedition, they will not be able to adapt to the climate. Jiaozhou people are short and will not be able to beat the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty unless Li Mu built a gun across the era. Finally, it is also the most important factor, geographical determinism.

Throughout China's five thousand years of history, it has never been won from north to south, but it has never been won by fighting from south to north. Whether it was the King of Chu that year, the later Song Dynasty's resistance to Liao and Jin, or the modern Northern Expedition, it has never been successful. This is a matter determined by geographical factors and cannot be resisted by humans.

Li Shimin is the most outstanding military general in the world, so he certainly understands what Li Mu is saying. Li Mu's meaning is very clear. He wants to "exil to" himself in order to protect himself, his family, and his descendants.

Li Shimin was silent for a while and said, "I know that no matter how I guarantee it, you will definitely not believe it-but I cannot agree to you in this matter. You are a minister of the Tang Dynasty, and you should do things out of public intention. Since you think Li You is suitable, then Jiaozhou will give Li You some power. What if you do it if your future is gone?"

"It's okay." Li Mu laughed indifferently: "I'm not just this way of retreat, I'll just change the place."
Chapter completed!