Tibet

Chapter 568
A team of more than a hundred people entered Shangluo County before dark. This team was the team of King Xiang Li Huan. Li Huan was about 30 years old, short in stature, weak in constitution, fair in skin, and looked like a gentle scholar. .

He has lived in a palace with favorable conditions since he was a child. He built a palace independently at the age of 20 and has been living in the palace since then. He has no chance to go out or become an official.

This was his first time being sent to Jingxiang, and Li Huan was extremely excited and looking forward to it.

The arrival of King Xiang caused chaos in Shangluo County. The county magistrate prepared a guesthouse and slaughtered pigs and sheep to entertain the accompanying eunuchs and guards.

Li Huan has a staff member named Liu Xun, who was born in Imperial College. He is about thirty years old and has no background. He has been a teaching assistant in the county school for ten years. He was introduced to Li Huan as his staff member not long ago. He is quite smart and capable.

Liu Xun walked into the room and saw Li Huan pacing back and forth. He stepped forward and bowed and said, "Your Highness, are you looking for me?"

Li Huan nodded, "I'm a little upset. I'm stationed in Jingxiang. There are so many things to worry about. I don't know where to start?"

Liu Xun smiled slightly and said: "Your Highness, any power must have a foundation. Power without a foundation is just a castle in the air. When Your Highness comes to Xiangyang, he must first seize military power. Military power is the basis of all power. With military power, Your Highness is a sword. Without military power, , that’s the fish on the chopping board!”

"Then how can I control the military?"

"It's very simple. His Highness promotes generals from the bottom of the army and gives them high-ranking officials and generous salaries. Without His Highness to protect them, they will die. Then they will be loyal to His Highness. Let them control the army, which means that His Highness controls the military.

Secondly, His Highness must have a personal guard team of about 3000 people. On the one hand, it is to protect His Highness, and on the other hand, it is used to suppress those who oppose His Highness. "

"well said!"

Li Huan felt a little enlightened. He smiled again and said, "Is there anything else you want to say?"

Liu Xun continued: "After taking control of the army, we must ensure military food and materials. The most important states in Jingxiang are Xiangzhou and Jingzhou. His Highness can personally serve as the governor of Xiangzhou and Jingzhou, and then let his close associates serve as chief historians. In this way If you control the most important Jingzhou and Xiangzhou, you will also control the entire Jingzhou and Xiangzhou."

Liu Xun's suggestion was obviously selfish. He would tailor the history of Xiangzhou to himself. Li Huan would be the nominal governor, and the entire Xiangzhou would be within his scope of power.

But his suggestion also hit the mark. Controlling the military power and Jingzhou and Xiangzhou will also control the entire Shannan East Road. This is what Li Dai is currently doing. Li Dai concurrently serves as the governor of Xiangzhou and Jingzhou, and two of his staff serve as chief historians. The army was in control through his son.

Li Huan walked a few steps with his hands behind his back: "Actually, what I'm most worried about is Li Dai. How should I deal with him?"

"Actually, it's very simple. There are good experiences in all dynasties. It's nothing more than civil and military tactics. Wen means to bribe him and make him a confidant of His Highness. Wu means to put him under house arrest or isolate him so that he has no place to use his skills. But he The son is very powerful, unless both father and son are put under house arrest, it would be better to use Wen. If he becomes a confidant of His Highness, his son will not go against His Highness."

Li Xun was silent for a moment and said, "But my father means that I should kill him."

Liu Xun sighed, "Your Highness, there are so many people who want to kill Li Dai, but why no one dares to do it? The key is that his son is so powerful! No one can bear his son's fierce revenge. Your Highness must not kill anyone." If you can buy his ideas, buy him off; if you can't buy him off, put him under house arrest or send him out of the country with gifts."

Liu Xun is not stupid. Once Li Ye takes revenge, it will be extremely cruel. As a staff member, he will definitely die, and his family will not survive. He will not let Li Huan do such a stupid thing.

Li Huan nodded, "Let's talk about it after we go to Xiangyang!"

He now has direction and is not as flustered as before.

Early the next morning, Li Huan's team continued their journey and were safe in Shangzhou. However, after leaving Wuguan, everyone became nervous. Chen Liansheng, the guard of Wuguan, hinted to them that there were many bandits on Funiu Road and asked them to be careful on the road.

Most of the area along the way is deserted, with high mountains and dense forests, and murderous intent is hidden everywhere.

That afternoon, Wu Baoguo, the leader of the guards, rode up and said, "Your Majesty, there is a dense forest ahead of us. We may not be able to finish the walk before dark. It is better to rest where we are and start again after dawn tomorrow!"

Li Huan looked around. There were mountains all around. The mountains were undulating in the distance, and the mountains felt very coercive. He didn't like it here, and he didn't want to spend the night here.

"It's going to rain soon. Let's go straight away. If it rains, you can take shelter in the woods!" Leader Wu Baoguo looked at the sky. Although it was gloomy, it didn't look like it was going to rain. He knew that the prince didn't like it here. Helpless, he had no choice but to give the order to move on.

Chen Liansheng, the leader of Wuguan, had hinted to him that there were many bandits and thieves on the road, especially in Hongjin Village, which was very rampant recently, so they should be careful. Wu Baoguo was actually a little scared.

The sky was gloomy, and after entering the avenue, the entire sky became gloomy. This was a twenty-mile-long forest, dominated by pine and cypress trees, with an official road passing through the middle.

The night was getting deeper and deeper, and everyone was very tired, so Li Huan ordered them to rest where they were.

The guards found an open space and lit a bonfire. Everyone barbecued on the bonfire. The blazing fire also gave them a sense of security.

While the guards were eating happily, suddenly, countless arrows were shot from all directions. The guards were caught off guard and fell to the ground one after another, screaming in agony.

Li Huan was sleeping in the carriage. The screams woke him up. He suddenly panicked and shouted: "Someone is coming! Someone is coming quickly!"

The door opened with a bang, and a bearded man carrying a wooden ax rushed into the carriage. He was dressed in cloth and wearing a turban. He pointed with a sharp wooden ax and said in a rough voice: "Is the prince they are talking about you?"

Li Huan was so frightened that he nodded in horror. The man with a beard stepped forward and punched him on the head. Li Huan suddenly fainted.
When Li Huan woke up, he found himself lying in a cave with a tattered wooden bed and tattered bedding under him. There were some daily necessities on the ground beside him, which were also tattered.

He panicked in his heart and shouted: "Guard Wu, Mr. Liu!"

No one responded to him, so he stood up and ran towards the entrance of the cave. There were two people standing guard at the entrance of the cave, holding spears and staring at him fiercely. The two men were in tattered clothes, with red cloth tied on their heads, and their faces were full of flesh. At first glance, they looked like mountains. bandit.

Li Huan did not dare to approach the cave entrance. He stood a few feet away from the cave entrance and looked around. He saw a big flag with three characters written on it, 'Red Scarf Village'.

He immediately understood that he had been kidnapped and taken up the mountain by bandits.

"Two generals, I am the prince. If you let me go back, I will make you a general, reward you with a big house, reward you with a lot of money, and enjoy not only the glory but also the wealth."

Li Huan wanted to persuade the two bandits, but despite his words, the two guards ignored him at all, just like two clay sculptures.

Li Huan sat on the ground. He thought that he was going to die soon. He suddenly felt sad and covered his face and started crying.

At this time, footsteps sounded, and Li Huan looked up. It was the big man with a beard who had captured him, and he was so frightened that he quickly backed away.

"You are so scared! If I wanted to kill you, I would have killed you with a knife."

The big man with a beard was fierce and evil. He placed a food box heavily on the table and said, "You still want me to serve you and deliver food to you, a bastard like you? Bah!"

The man with a beard turned around and walked away. Although the bandit was very vicious, Li Huan saw hope. If the bandit didn't kill him, he must be trying to extort ransom. After thinking about this, he felt relieved.

His stomach suddenly growled, and he was suddenly unbearably hungry. Only then did Li Huan remember that he had not eaten any water or rice since noon yesterday.

The strong hunger made him climb up and open the food box, and he frowned suddenly. He saw a broken coarse porcelain bowl with a chipped mouth, and a pair of chopsticks covered with old dirt.

The rice was very rough, but the vegetables were pretty good. The two pieces of meat were pheasant meat, and the vegetables seemed to be mountain mushrooms. He was really hungry, and he didn't care whether he was done or not, so he wolfed down the meal.

He suddenly realized that this seemed to be the most delicious meal in his life.

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[I'm really sorry. I have guests at home during the National Day. Relatives from my hometown come to travel. Lao Gao has to pick up and accompany me. There are still two updates today, and there will be three updates tomorrow. 】

(End of this chapter)