Chapter 42 Alliance
After the harvest, Li Jiancheng had more than 30 Turkic heads in his name. It was a pity that they were all unknown, but it was better than nothing, and he was already very satisfied.

They were elite cavalry, with the best armor, bows and horses. They were not afraid of being ambushed on this plain. They could attack or retreat, so they chased for a while and gained some gains before returning.

On the way back to the camp, they encountered Changsun Sheng's team. Li Jianben wanted to bypass them to avoid being misunderstood as wanting to share the credit, but Changsun Sheng sent his deputy general to invite him over.

Li Jiancheng still admired Changsun Sheng very much, so he dismounted and saluted after riding over, congratulating him: "Congratulations to General Changsun for his extraordinary achievement in helping His Royal Highness the Crown Prince defeat the Turks. The general was so angry that his power spread beyond the borders, and he did this with thunder and lightning. How magnificent!"

Chang Sun Sheng jumped off the horse and pulled Li Jiancheng's hand, saying: "This is God's blessing on our Great Sui Dynasty. What I did is not worth mentioning."

After looking at Li Jiancheng's elite cavalry not far away, he exclaimed: "The Li family is still the Li family. Did you gain anything, my dear?"

Li Jiancheng said: "I am ashamed. With the help of the general, I only managed to pick up a few dozen Turkic heads."

Chang Sun Sheng smiled and said, "I just happen to have a gift for you, my dear."

As he spoke, the deputy general at the side held up a head. The hair was disheveled and tied with gold and silver ornaments. It was obviously the head of a great Turkic noble, and it was also a glorious achievement.

"The Turkic Khan Anlijiqin is the leader of this Turkic army."

Li Jiancheng couldn't think of anything that Changsun Sheng could ask of him, so he declined, saying, "This is the achievement of the general manager. How dare Jiancheng accept the reward without any merit?"

Chang Sun Sheng waved his hand and asked his deputy to deliver the head to Li Jiancheng's family general: "Your and my two families have been friends since the Wei Dynasty. There is no need to be polite."

It is true that they are old friends, and the two families have in-laws as well, but there has never been any special relationship between the main branches. It is really puzzling that they would be given such a great achievement right away.

If he wanted to use this opportunity to get close to the prince, he might as well give the head to Yang Xuangan. The prince could do without Li Jiancheng, but now he absolutely could not do without the support of Yang Su, so the importance of the right to speak became clear.

"General, Jiancheng is truly ashamed of his honor."

Chang Sun Sheng was very satisfied with Li Jiancheng's reaction. The rumors he had heard in recent days were indeed true. A great figure had emerged in the Li family.

He was nearly sixty years old, and although he still felt healthy, he had to leave some connections for the family. His eldest son, Zhangsun Xingbu, was the King of Han, Ku Zhen, when he first started his career. This was a relationship that could not be shaken off.

Even if he helps the prince defeat the Turks this time, when the prince ascends the throne in the future, the eldest son who inherits the family business will definitely not be liked by the prince, which is very dangerous.

As for why he didn't ask for help from the Yang family, Chang Sun Sheng agreed with what Li Jiancheng said to Duke of Qi Gao Zuo, that the only thing a high-ranking official lacks is death, and what is the difference between Yang Su today and Gao Zuo of the past?

Chang Sun Sheng was able to thrive in the hostile Turkic tribe. He had his own way of judging people. The prince seemed kind and modest, but in fact he was probably more violent than the current emperor. Such a monarch would not tolerate powerful ministers.

He had no time to avoid the Yang family, so he would not try to establish any relationship with them. Yuwen Shu, the Duke of Baoguo, whom the Crown Prince trusted very much, was not bad, but his eldest son Yuwen Huaji was a complete fool and a waste, and not a good ally.

But Li Jiancheng was different. His reputation was proof of his status, and his family was prominent. He was related to the Crown Princess's family by marriage, and he was so young. No matter how you looked at it, he was a good ally who could ensure his wealth for decades.

Chang Sun Sheng looked at him with great admiration and said, "Jiancheng, you can just call me uncle from now on. I heard that the prince regretted not being able to be your father-in-law and son-in-law. I also felt the same way. What a pity."

"But I heard that your family has a new young man, so it seems there is still a chance."

The two main branches officially became relatives, which also meant that they were allies. Changsun Sheng's alliance was obvious, and Li Jiancheng also saw some clues, so he stopped being polite. "Then Jiancheng thanks his uncle."

It is a truth that you should always try your best to make as many friends as possible. The Changsun family is also an important member of the Guanlong noble family, so Li Jiancheng naturally hopes to make good friends with them.

Li Jiancheng led his men to join Changsun Sheng's troops back to the camp. The camp had already slaughtered sheep, killed horses and cooked the meat in preparation for rewarding the soldiers. This was all arranged by Yang Su.

The head of the Turkic leader inexplicably appeared in Li Jiancheng's hands, which was obviously wrong, but Yang Guang did not ask about it and directly asked someone to write down the victory report and send it back to Beijing.

The faces of Yang Su and his son were not very happy. It was not directed at Li Jiancheng, but at Changsun Sheng. The head of a mere Turkic leader might have some effect on soldiers below the fourth rank, but it was actually nothing to them.

But Chang Sun Sheng was already trusted by the emperor, and after Li Jiancheng helped to speak up for him, the prince also wanted to accept and get close to Chang Sun Sheng. The Turks could not be resolved with a few major battles.

Regardless of whether there is a war or not, Changsun Sheng's role is much greater than that of ordinary generals. He is not very close to the Yang family. This time he has snatched away Yang Su's opportunity to make merit and show his power, which naturally makes him extremely unhappy.

There were many post-war affairs, but they had nothing to do with Li Jiancheng. When he had nothing to do, he would go to find Changsun Sheng. The two got along like close relatives. Changsun Sheng was very patient with him and answered all his questions.

With the connivance of Changsun Sheng, Li Jiancheng selected fifty extremely brave Turkish knights from the Turkish captives as slaves.

No matter how brave a knight is, he cannot climb onto his horse if he is poisoned, and can only be slaughtered and captured.

The poison that Changsun Sheng personally prepared naturally had an antidote. In addition, due to Changsun Sheng's prestige among the Turks, these fifty people were willing to follow Li Jiancheng.

Li Jiancheng led more than a hundred family generals to go on the expedition. When he was about to return, not a single one was missing, but rather there were more. It was a very good first expedition.

…………

Yang Guang threw the secret military letter from Yang Liang to the ground. Although both sides won, it was obvious that the King of Han was fighting against the Turkic Khan, so he made greater contributions.

Yang Su picked it up and read it, then handed it to Changsun Sheng who was standing beside him: "This is all thanks to Shi Wansui's contribution, and the King of Han was the one who held him back."

After reading it, Chang Sun Sheng nodded and said, "If General Shi is in full command, the results will be even greater."

Yang Guang calmed down and shook his head, saying, "A victory is a victory. There is no reason to punish the commander-in-chief for a small victory. Besides, my father particularly loves Yang Liang, so he will not reprimand me at all."

"Shi Wansui, could he be the King of Han's man?"

In response to Yang Guang's question, Yang Su said directly: "He is not the King of Han's man, nor is he the deposed crown prince's man. He is definitely not one of us. After the crown prince took the throne, local officials and generals sent congratulatory letters, but Shi Wansui did not say a word."

Yang Guang's eyes turned cold. The King of Han had considerable power, and he could not tolerate having another powerful general like Shi Wansui under his command.

...............

(End of this chapter)