noveltune Chapter 5455 Strike First
Chapter 5455 Strike First
Chapter 5455 Strike First
Li Jinzhong hurriedly replied, "Why do you say such things, Grand Commander? My grandfather fought loyally for the Tang Dynasty throughout his life and made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty. As a result, our family was favored by Emperor Taizong and was granted the imperial surname. Our descendants will never forget this! Now that my grandfather has passed away, it is natural for us, his descendants, to inherit his legacy and serve the Tang Emperor. How can we choose someone else to inherit his official position?"
Even the edict issued by Emperor Taizong to bestow the imperial surname and official positions stated "bestowed surname and title, hereditary leader". How come Zhou Daowu said that it was acceptable as long as the Dahe clan inherited it?
What a joke!
The other tribal leaders also had varying expressions. If the position of Governor of Songmo was truly not passed down among Li Kuge's descendants, then everyone needed to seriously reconsider their stance...
Zhou Daowu looked displeased and rebuked, "Insolence! This matter concerns the succession of official positions, which cannot be decided by my word alone, nor can it be allowed for you to exchange positions privately! I have received news of your grandfather's death and have already written a memorial and sent it to Chang'an by fast horse. You only need to wait for the Emperor's decision and must not discuss it arbitrarily."
Li Kucaoli and Li Jinzhong exchanged a glance, both their faces turning ashen.
Abugu coughed and laughed, "Just as the Grand Commander said, the succession of the Songmo Commander's position is His Majesty's decision. How can we, his subjects, have a say? You two are young and impetuous. I won't hold your previous disrespect against me against you. Fortunately, the leaders present were all understanding and stopped me. Otherwise, if I were to die here today, it would be enough to cause internal strife in the entire Khitan tribe. Your sins are grave!"
"That's right. No matter what, how can we recklessly resort to violence and cause bloodshed on the spot?"
"Young people are impetuous and act rashly when things happen. They are far inferior to your grandfathers."
"Fortunately, the Dahe clan has a mature, prudent, and far-sighted person like Abugu, otherwise their future would be worrying."
"Alas, what can be done about a tiger father and a dog grandson?"
Abugu chuckled and said, "Although the two young generals are young and impetuous, I have fought alongside the clan chief for many years and will teach them properly on his behalf. I will never let them go astray and tarnish the clan chief's lifelong reputation."
Zhou Daowu also said, "An elder in the family is like a treasure. You should indeed play your role in stabilizing the situation, instead of letting some impetuous and reckless people ruin the good situation. If this leads to instability on the border, no one can bear the blame from the court!"
"Yes, yes, the Grand Commander is right."
"Rest assured, Grand Commander, whether they are Khitan or Xi, they will surely be loyal to the Tang Dynasty for generations to come, guarding the northeastern border for the Tang Dynasty until their dying breath!"
"it is good!"
Zhou Daowu praised him, stood up and smiled, "I will also convey your loyalty and enthusiasm to His Majesty. His Majesty is kind and benevolent and will surely reward you handsomely! I am busy with affairs, so I will not stay any longer and will take my leave for now."
"Respectfully seeing off the Grand Commander!"
……
night.
The funeral hall was brightly lit with candles and filled with wisps of smoke.
Inside a secluded room, the Li brothers sat facing each other, their faces grim.
Beside him sat a Han scholar, around fifty years old, with a lean appearance, wearing a round-necked shirt and a turban.
Li Jinzhong asked, "What does Mr. Zhao think?"
This Mr. Zhao was Li Kuge's strategist. He trusted Li Kuge implicitly and followed his advice without question. Mr. Zhao was also loyal to Li Kuge and came up with many ingenious plans.
He took a sip of tea, his face slightly somber in the candlelight. After a long silence, he said, "In my opinion, Zhou Daowu's words were not simple."
The Li brothers said in unison, "We would like to hear the details."
Mr. Zhao sighed, his expression grave: "'Bestowed surname and title, hereditary leader'—the meaning of these words is all too clear, and for a long time everyone has regarded the bestowal of surname, title, and official position as being passed down within the Li family's descendants... But if Zhou Daowu insists on saying that it 'passed down within the Dahe clan,' then we can't say he's wrong."
The blood ties within each of the eight tribes of the Khitan were actually not very close. Li Kuge and Abugu were distant cousins.
Li Jinzhong angrily retorted, "Who would believe that the position of Governor of Songmo would circulate within the entire Dahe clan? That position was clearly bestowed upon my grandfather and my family by Emperor Taizong!"
Li Kucaoli was also quite angry: "How can such a distortion of the truth and the calling of a deer a horse silence public opinion? I'm afraid even the emperor in Chang'an wouldn't believe it!"
Mr. Zhao nodded: "That's the crux of the matter. Whether the position of Governor of Songmo will be passed down within the Li family or within the Dahe clan, the final decision rests with His Majesty the Emperor in Chang'an."
Li Jinzhong's spirits lifted: "His Majesty the Emperor is wise and mighty, and naturally he will not be deceived by treacherous officials!"
Mr. Zhao sighed: "It is true that His Majesty is kind and benevolent, as is known throughout the court and the country. But to say that His Majesty is wise and powerful... that is debatable."
The world's evaluation of Li Chengqian is mostly that of a "benevolent ruler" rather than a "wise ruler".
It has nothing to do with the phrase "wise and mighty"...
Mr. Zhao continued, "Judging from Zhou Daowu's tone and Abugu's expression, there must be some private dealings between the two. Zhou Daowu clearly favors Abugu succeeding as the governor of Songmo. Therefore, in his memorial to Chang'an, he will surely speak well of Abugu. And Zhou Daowu is Emperor Taizong's son-in-law, His Majesty's sister's husband, they are family... The two young generals failed to make arrangements in advance, and now they have lost all the initiative, which is extremely disadvantageous."
Li Kucao slammed his fist on the table and said angrily, "That scoundrel!"
Clearly, Abugu and Zhou Daowu had been in contact privately for some time and even had vested interests. Now that their grandfather had suddenly passed away, Zhou Daowu would definitely support Abugu, who was of greater benefit to him, to inherit the official position and control the Khitan. Even if the brothers tried to find a way to succeed him at the last minute, it would be too late.
With the situation unfavorable and the governorship of Songmo likely to slip from his grasp, Li Jinzhong calmed down and asked, "Does the gentleman have any good plan to turn the tide?"
Mr. Zhao stroked his beard, hesitated, and sighed.
Li Jinzhong hurriedly said, "Sir, you are my grandfather's advisor, and my brothers and I have always respected you. Please do not hesitate to speak frankly!"
Li Kucao also said, “Sir, there is no need to be shy. As long as my brother inherits the official position, the entire Khitan will still treat you as an honored guest, and you can have whatever money, silk, and beautiful women you desire!”
"Alas, I have received great kindness from your grandfather. How can I care about personal gains and losses at this critical moment for the family? However, my plan is too risky. If it fails, the consequences will be severe, and I am afraid I will fail your grandfather's trust!"
"What's your plan? Tell me, and let's discuss it together!"
Even if we fail and are utterly destroyed, we will have no regrets!
"so……"
After pondering for a long time, Mr. Zhao sighed and said, "My plan is not particularly ingenious, after all, the situation is like this and there is no way to reverse it... It's just a matter of striking first."
The Li brothers exchanged a glance.
Li Kucao asked, "Does the master mean to eliminate Abugu?"
Mr. Zhao nodded: "In my guess, Zhou Daowu has already strongly supported Abugu and will definitely do his best to recommend him to the court to take over the position of Governor of Songmo. The day the imperial edict arrives in Raozhou will be the day Abugu takes office. By then, the overall situation will be settled. Only by eliminating Abugu first will no one in the Dahe clan have the qualifications or strength to succeed him. No one else will be able to subdue the various tribes and the leader of the Khitan. The position of Governor of Songmo will naturally remain in the hands of you brothers."
Li Jinzhong frowned: "But now Abugu must be on guard. Even though he is in the Governor's Mansion, it will not be easy to kill him."
He then lamented, "The daytime would have been a good opportunity, but unfortunately, the leaders of various departments blocked it, and we missed it!"
Mr. Zhao laughed and said, "Abugu was well prepared during the day. Even if we kill him, we will suffer heavy losses and may not be able to succeed. If he escapes and returns to his tribe, things will be very bad. Because he was protected by the leaders of various tribes during the day and supported by Zhou Daowu, Abugu is now ambitious and lax in his guard. If you brothers go all out, you will definitely be able to kill him successfully."
Li Jinzhong clenched his fist: "There's no time to lose. I'll gather men immediately, storm into his temporary residence, kill him, and eliminate any future trouble!"
Li Kucao hesitated and said, "Killing Abu is not difficult, but if he dies in the governor's mansion, will his troops let it go? If we are not careful, it could lead to internal strife within the entire clan!"
Abugu was no ordinary person; he was the second most powerful force in the Dahe clan after Li Kuge. He even had supporters in the other seven tribes besides the Dahe clan. If Abugu were killed, his subordinates and supporters would very likely rebel completely, plunging the entire Khitan into internal strife.
Li Jinzhong gritted his teeth and said, "If the position of Governor of Songmo falls into the hands of someone else, you and I will be sinners of the Dahe clan. How can we face our people? How can we face our grandfather in the afterlife? And once Abugu succeeds to the position of Governor of Songmo, what good do you think will happen to us brothers and our people? Let's kill Abugu first and securely succeed to the position of Governor of Songmo. Otherwise, if you and I die and our people are slaughtered, what does the survival and prosperity of the Khitan have to do with us?"
Li Kucaoli was persuaded and abruptly stood up, saying, "Second brother's words make sense. I was indecisive! Let's gather our men and launch our attack tonight!"
Li Jinzhong also stood up and said to Mr. Zhao, "Please stay here and coordinate from the center, while we await good news from my brother!"
Mr. Zhao instructed, "Even an eagle uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Although Abugu is currently residing in the Governor's Mansion, we must not be careless. Since we have made a decision, we must concentrate our efforts and go all out. We must not make any mistakes, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable."
Killing Abugu might cause a split within the Dahe clan, but if the attack fails and Abugu escapes, the entire Khitan will fall into civil war.
The Li brothers agreed in unison, strode out the door, and ordered their men to secretly gather and head to the courtyard where Abugu was temporarily staying.
Inside the hall, Mr. Zhao watched the two brothers' figures disappear through the doorway, sighed softly, and looked slightly reluctant.
But he immediately shook his head and gave a wry smile.
He was unwilling to do this, but a letter from a nobleman in Chang'an forced him to make this decision...