Chapter 409: Discussion on the Eastern Tour
Li Xiaozheng walked out of the palace with his head held high and then returned to his own residence.

"It seems that Your Highness has seen His Majesty today?"

"Hahaha, the one who knows me is the princess. Not only did Aye meet me, he also praised me for my hard work these days."

The person who was talking to him was Princess Yang of Wei, who was sixteen years old. She was the wife chosen by Li Yuan for him after Li Xiaozheng returned to Chang'an at the end of last year.

Yang was born in Hongnong Yang, and was the daughter of Yang Sui, the Duke of Yue who had just surrendered not long ago.

The reason why Li Yuan found this marriage for Li Xiaozheng was naturally to appease Yang and to hope that Yang could have closer ties with the royal family.

Essentially, Li Yuan did not view Li Xiaozheng as an independent force, but used his marriage to establish a connection with the Yang family.

And since the Yang family has a prince and princess, it is natural to support them well.

"That's a good thing. I congratulate Your Highness," Princess Wei said with a smile.

Li Xiaozheng waved his hand and said, "Your Majesty has listened to my suggestion and has already made some suggestions. As long as Your Majesty goes to the front line in person, I will definitely be able to go with you. Then I will have the opportunity to make meritorious contributions."

When he said this, a hint of fierceness flashed in Li Xiaozheng's eyes. He could not forget the moment when Li San pinched his neck and called him a slave.

I just don’t dare tell anyone about it.

He didn't even dare to complain now, because that man was Prince of Jin Li Xuanqing, the only prince who dared to confront the emperor head-on but was only under house arrest.

He was the only prince who accompanied Li Yuan when he started his rebellion in Shu.

Whether in terms of affection, birth, or achievements, only Li Er and Li Si, who are also legitimate sons, can be compared.

But these three can even be considered as one.

Even Li Yuan found this a headache, not to mention him, a weak and powerless prince.

But when Princess Yang of Wei heard this, she felt relieved, because instigating Li Xiaozheng to wait in the palace every day and ask to see Li Yuan, and then instigating Li Yuan to lead the army in person, were actually all planned by her father Yang Sui.

Because the Yang family knew that they were bound to the prince Li Xiaozheng, the prince of Wei, to a certain extent. After the prince ascended to the throne, he might not be kind to the Yang family.

If Li Xiaozheng could be supported, it didn't mean that he had to compete for the throne, but he must at least have a place in front of several older princes and be able to stand on his own feet.

This way, even after the crown prince ascends the throne in the future, he will pay more attention to the Yang family. Of course, this degree must be controlled. If you go too far, you may end up getting burned.

Yang Sui felt that he should be able to control these things, so he casually gave some pointers to his daughter, Princess Wei, and then told the story to Prince of Wei, Li Xiaozheng, through her.

The risk was reduced to a very low level. Even with the in-laws, they did not have too close contact. This was so that if the brothers ever feared this kid, they could cut off ties in time.

Of course, Li Xiaozheng and Li Yuan, father and son, would not know every detail of these things.

Because in their eyes, these are things that are in their best interests.

Li Xiaozheng knew that his chance of leading the army independently was slim, or even nonexistent, because after this defeat, even if Li Yuan wanted to give him a chance, he would have to consider the opinions of his ministers.

If he was allowed to lead troops to support the battlefield in Luoyang, would Qi Wang Li Yuanhui be kind to him? Would he be given a chance to make meritorious contributions?

It's hard.

But if Li Yuan led the army in person, then as a prince he would have a great chance of leading an army on his own.

As for Li Yuan, he was not very reassured about the war in Luoyang. One reason was because of Li Xiaozheng and he was worried about the outcome of the war.

Secondly, he was worried that Li Yuanhui had always been prudent in employing troops. Except for the first Battle of Yecheng when he retreated to Luoyang for recuperation and Liu Wenhui's reckless advance caused a great defeat, he had never suffered a defeat on the battlefield.

Even in the defeat of Yecheng, the left and right guards under the King of Qi were unscathed. And this time he faced Liu Xuanji, and both sides could be said to have sent out their best troops. It was very likely to be a key battle that could determine the strategic situation of both sides.

If Li Yuanhui won, his position east of Hangu Pass would be more secure.

Therefore, Li Xiaozheng's suggestion was in line with his interests. Go to Luoyang to supervise the battle.

If we are defeated, we can rely on the natural barrier of the Yellow River to control the situation. If the wind is favorable, we can go up and expand the victory.

Since I lead the army in person, I don't have to take any big risks.

After careful consideration, Li Yuan immediately put forward his plan during the small court meeting, which was to lead the army in person.

The left and right ministers, Pei Hongde and Sima Xiuye, understood Li Yuan's idea after thinking about it and voted in favor.

As for the Minister of Personnel Pei Ji, the Minister of Revenue Wen Daya, and the Minister of War Yuwen Chengye, these three were also Li Yuan's confidants and naturally gave his full support.

Crown Prince Li Er, who had just recently participated in government affairs, saw this situation and knew that Aye was determined to take the credit. But in order to maintain his position, he still raised an objection, "Your Majesty is a great king, how can you let Your Majesty lead the expedition in person? As the crown prince, I am willing to lead the troops."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan quickly glanced at Pei Ji.

Pei Ji understood and said: "Your Highness the Crown Prince is the foundation of the country, and the foundation of the country cannot be moved lightly"

After saying all these things, Li Er knew that there was nothing to argue about, so he just accepted the result.

Although Li Yuan's tour to the east to supervise the war had been decided, it was already winter.

During the winter solstice ceremony, Li Yuan let the crown prince go on his behalf, which was unprecedented. This was also a way of showing the court and the public how much I value the crown prince.

Let him take charge of such important matters.

But in fact, the Eastern Palace has only appointed a few great Confucian scholars and scholars who can't do much as officials, and all of Li Er's old subordinates in the Qin Palace have dispersed into the court and the country.

The Eastern Palace does not have any military power at all.

Prince Li Er was basically just a decoration. If it weren't for his many achievements in the past and the popularity he enjoyed in the court and the country, Li Yuan would have been forced to let him participate in politics. In that case, this prince would have been no different from being in prison.

However, the most important affairs of the state are sacrifice and war. Letting Li Er take his place to offer sacrifices to heaven is also a symbol of the crown prince's very solid status.

And after Li Yuan went to war, the crown prince would definitely be in charge of the country and handle state affairs.

This made Li Er feel a little relieved.

Li Yuan said he was touring Luoyang, but in fact he was taking the Guanzhong army to attack Luoyang. If there was a chance, it would be best to break up the power of the King of Qi at the same time.

So Li Yuan planned to lead a large army this time, including the elite soldiers of the Left and Right Guards, the Left and Right Jinwu Guards, and the Left and Right Beishenfu, totaling 130,000 soldiers and horses.

It would take time to prepare for an expedition of such a large scale, so the expedition was scheduled to begin after the New Year.

Li Yuan didn't want to go there so early, naturally, he wanted to let Li Yuanhui and Liu Xuanji continue to consume each other.

If we wait until spring, when the weather is warm and flowers are blooming, the ice and snow will melt and the roads will become muddy.

But just after the New Year, before spring arrived, the ground was firm and clean, which was more conducive to the army's movement.

When Li Yuanhui, who was on the battlefield in Hanoi, found out about it, it was already the twelfth lunar month and the Chinese New Year was approaching soon.

"Touring Luoyang, and bringing 100,000 soldiers with you? Hehehe."

This imperial edict made Li Yuanhui laugh. Didn't this old man really think that he could get something for nothing by bringing 100,000 troops with him?
(End of this chapter)