Chapter 152: Fighting a Tiger with Bare Hands, Li Linfu Plots against Wei Jian
After hearing Li Longji's scream, Li Xuan saw a pair of green eyes running fast in the dark night.

It is huge in size!

Li Longji was so frightened that his face turned pale. He dragged Yang Yuhuan and fled frantically towards the location of the imperial guards.

The imperial guards did not carry bows and arrows at this time, but they were ready to rescue the emperor with swords in their hands.

If anything happens to the saint, they will all be buried with him.

But they were too far away and had no time to get around, and their running speed was far slower than that of the madly running "leopard".

"Hurry up and save me, save me!"

Gao Lishi was grilling meat and chatting with Chen Xuanli in front of a campfire two hundred steps away. When he saw the "leopard", his face changed drastically. Without hesitation, he raised a torch from the fire and rushed towards Li Longji's position.

Chen Xuanli was loyal to Li Longji. He took out the spear placed in front of the tent and rushed forward.

It’s just that these two “old guys” have long lost their strength and no matter how hard they try, they are still out of reach.

As for the female officials and eunuchs who followed them, they were trembling with fear and didn't know what to do!
"leopard?"

Li Xuan’s eyes widened.

Is this a leopard?
Li Xuan couldn't see clearly. He was closest to Li Longji, so he ran over first.

He felt that it was not a leopard because its body was so huge when it suddenly jumped up.

"Saint, lady, run to me!"

Li Xuan shouted to Li Longji while running wildly.

The beast behind them was getting closer and closer to Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan.

"Shichiro, save me!"

Li Longji turned towards Li Xuan as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.

When he looked back again, he was horrified.

It has thick yellow fur with black spots on its body, a broad forehead, sharp eyes, and exudes the aura of a king.

This is not a leopard, it's clearly a tiger!

The distance was too far just now, and Li Longji heard that there was a leopard on the nearby mountain and mistakenly thought it was a leopard rushing towards him.

This is still the strongest tiger, with a strong and powerful body.

This frightened Li Longji so much that he quickened his pace.

He regretted leaving the campfire to seek fun at this time.

The bright moonlight shines down, and both sides chase each other.

Gradually, the tiger was only a dozen steps away from Li Longji, and Li Longji was also a dozen steps away from Li Xuan.

This distance is the best time for tigers to hunt.

Under normal circumstances, it can kill a person in an instant, carry away the body and run back to the mountains.

"what……"

At this moment, Yang Yuhuan suddenly screamed.

How could a weak woman like her possibly keep up with Li Longji's pace of escape? She was so tired that she fell to the ground when she was out of breath.

Li Longji was just about to pull Yang Yuhuan up when he saw a tiger pouncing towards him like yellow lightning in the dark night.

"Oh!"

At this critical moment, Li Xuan saw a fist-sized stone on the ground. He immediately bent down to pick it up and threw it at the tiger.

Fortunately, this time the arrow hit the tiger's abdomen accurately, causing the flying tiger to fall from the air.

After rolling a few times on the ground, its body was only five or six steps away from Yang Yuhuan.

"Saint, my lady, please leave!"

Li Xuan took advantage of this opportunity and rushed forward. He saw Yang Yuhuan lying on the ground, and without hesitation he grabbed her charming body and helped her up.

"Shichiro loves me!"

Li Longji survived the disaster and breathed a sigh of relief.

He saw that the tiger suddenly stood up and immediately pulled the frightened Yang Yuhuan away.

"Roar……"

The tiger had thick skin and flesh, and even with Li Xuan's supernatural power, he was unable to seriously injure it with one blow.

After it turned over again, it was angered by Li Xuan's behavior and let out a roar.

In the dark night, the tiger roared loudly and all the beasts crawled on the ground.

Li Xuan also saw the tiger's appearance clearly. It was actually more than ten feet long and nearly four feet tall at the shoulder. It looked like it weighed no less than five hundred pounds.

This should be a tiger that has escaped here, like the North China tiger that has become extinct in the wild in later generations.

Only a tiger like this could roam around the Xianyang Plain.

The tiger's eyes flashed with ferocity. It was obvious that Li Xuan's attack just now made it very angry. It was ready to eat the two-legged beast that had entered its territory.

But Li Xuan was the first one to see something that it didn't run away from, which made it a little hesitant.

But when it saw more two-legged beasts running around, it no longer hesitated and prepared to strangle Li Xuan's throat and leave with Li Xuan's body in its mouth.

It squatted down, retracted its claws, and tensed all its muscles.

Then it revealed a look that was ready to devour its prey, raised its hind legs, and quickly pounced on Li Xuan.

Li Xuan knew that he couldn't run backwards, otherwise he would be exposed.

He carried neither a bow nor a sword, and was unarmed.

Seeing the tiger rushing like thunder and ready to pin him down, Li Xuan was full of courage and fearlessness. He quickly dodged to the side the moment the tiger pounced.

"Oh!"

He dodged the attack and kicked the tiger in the abdomen.

The tiger was kicked a dozen feet away.

"Roar!"

After rolling a few times, the tiger quickly stood up. It growled and the grass and trees trembled.

At this time, the tiger's eyes were red and its ferocity was completely unleashed. The moment it stood up, it pounced again, ready to attack with its claws and teeth, and brutally tear Li Xuan apart.

"Vulnerable!"

Li Xuan sneered. He knew that the tiger's defense was too strong and he had to hit it hard.

This time, Li Xuan dodged to the side with a smaller amplitude, and the tiger's attack missed, exposing its tail to Li Xuan's sight. He seized the opportunity and grabbed its thick tail with both hands.

"Ow..."

The tiger roared, and before it landed on the ground, Li Xuan swung its tail and made it spin several times in the air.

When the tiger was dizzy and howling continuously, Li Xuan suddenly threw its body away.

"Oh!"

The tiger had just landed on the ground and was dizzy. It hadn't gotten up yet. Li Xuan approached it, held its head with one hand and its neck with the other, and rode on its back.

"Boom!"

Before the tiger could scratch Li Xuan with its claws, Li Xuan released his right hand that was pressing on the tiger's head and punched it on the head with his sandbag-sized fist.

"Huh..."

In an instant, blood spurted out of the tiger's head.

"Boom boom boom!"

It struggled even louder, trying to knock Li Xuan over with its strong back, but Li Xuan continued to punch it several times.

"Crack!"

You could hear the tiger's skull cracking.

The tiger's limbs became weak and its back went limp.

The scarlet blood continued to flow on the messy grass, and the tiger's roar stopped. It could only breathe heavily and its abdomen heaved violently.

Only then did Li Xuan get up from the tiger, and at this time the Yulin Guards finally came to Li Xuan's side.

Li Xuan remained calm. He grabbed the skin on the tiger's neck with one hand and lifted up the huge body.

The Yulin Guards were all speechless. Such a huge and ferocious tiger was killed by Li Xuan in just two or three hits.

He picked up the ten-foot-long body with ease.

This is not a human being!

Is this God?
They sighed in their hearts that General Longwuwei was truly a famous hero.

"Qilang Yongzhuo, are you injured?"

Gao Lishi trotted to Li Xuan and asked with concern while breathing heavily.

Today he finally saw what the "power of a bear and tiger" really was, he couldn't see clearly in the dark but all he heard was a few screams and then he picked up the tiger's body.

The weight of this tiger seems to be even larger than the tigers kept in the palace.

The most important thing is that Li Xuan successfully rescued the emperor, which made Gao Lishi very grateful.

"Kill a vicious tiger without hurting it at all."

Li Xuan answered to Gao Lishi.

The first time he fought a tiger, Li Xuan showed no mercy. He had been on the battlefield for a long time, killed countless people, and possessed natural supernatural powers. Although the tiger was extremely strong, it was no match for him.

"General Li is so brave that it really opened my eyes. In ancient times, Bian Zhuangzi and Zhou Chu both needed weapons to kill tigers, but General Li killed the tiger with his bare hands. He is truly a man of heaven! The Tang Dynasty is lucky to have General Li!"

Chen Xuanli also admired Li Xuan's bravery. In the past, he had only seen descriptions of Li Xuan in battle reports. Every battle report would have keywords such as "killing hundreds of people at will", "killing thousands of people at will", "destroying the enemy completely", and "destroying the generals of the army". He had doubts before.

But now he is convinced.

There are few examples in history of someone killing a grown tiger without wearing armor and being unarmed.

"If I hadn't taken action first, the credit would have belonged to General Chen."

Li Xuan held a tiger and chatted and laughed with Chen Xuanli.

One of them is the General of the Left Dragon Guard, and the other is the General of the Right Dragon Guard.

But Chen Xuanli was the actual commander of the imperial guards.

"General, the saint asked you to pass..."

At this time, a female official came running to deliver a message.

She saw the huge tiger being killed by Li Xuan and could not hide the admiration in her eyes.

"I'll go right away!"

Li Xuan came to Li Longji's tent carrying the spoils.

At this time, Yang Yuhuan had already entered the big tent to calm down.

I could hear a slight sob, I guess it was tears in my eyes!
Although Li Longji's legs were weak, he still pretended to be calm and sat in front of the tent. The flickering bonfire beside him reflected his mood at the moment.

He felt sad in his heart that he, the emperor, almost died in the tiger's mouth.

There had never been such a critical moment in his glorious life. Even when he led 500 assassins to launch a coup, it was not as dangerous as it was just now.

He was very grateful to Li Xuan for stepping forward at the critical moment and saving him and his beloved concubine.

At the same time, Li Longji had a more intuitive understanding of Li Xuan's bravery.

In the past, he felt that the personal bravery reported in the battle reports was a bit exaggerated, but since Li Xuan always won with fewer troops, he didn't care at all.

Looking back now, that battle report was not exaggerated at all.

Being chased by a tiger, he and Madam Yuhuan had just arrived at the tent when they heard the news that Li Xuan had killed the tiger.

It takes so little time that it is shocking.

"Oh!"

"Your Majesty, the evil tiger wanted to harm the real dragon, which was beyond its ability. I am ashamed to have frightened the saint and the concubine. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Li Xuan threw the five-hundred-jin tiger to the ground, bowed to Li Longji, and asked for punishment.

"Without Qilang's strength, I would be dead! Qilang is a great contributor, I will reward him generously!"

Li Longji personally stood up and helped Li Xuan up.

Li Xuan's words always made Li Longji feel elated. A "real dragon" made Li Longji no longer feel panicked and depressed. He originally wanted to vent his anger on the imperial guards.

He asked for forgiveness just because he was "frightened". This is what a true loyal minister does!

There is no greater merit than saving the lord. After returning, he will definitely reward Li Xuan generously and he will give Li Xuan a real title.

"I dare not!"

Li Xuan still maintained a "ashamed" expression, but he was actually very happy in his heart.

After this tiger incident, Li Longji would not believe it even if someone accused him of treason.

Because Li Xuan really did save Li Longji's life from the tiger's mouth.

This is a real life-saving talisman!

"Sanlang, you must reward Qilang well."

When Yang Yuhuan heard Li Xuan coming, she walked out of the tent with the help of a female official.

She had wiped away her tears, but when she recalled that scene, she was still frightened and her face flushed.

Looking at the ferocious tiger on the ground again, she was still very scared. She only took a glance and then looked away.

"I won't treat Shichiro unfairly!"

Li Longji gently stroked Li Xuan's back. He hated the tiger that almost killed him. He pointed at the tiger's corpse and said to Gao Lishi, "When you go back, skin it and remove its tendons. Use the tiger skin to make carpets."

He will have to step on the tiger's skin to relieve his hatred.

"According to the order!"

Gao Lishi had no choice but to do as he was told.

The sound of a tiger's roar could be heard for miles. The Yulin Guards and Longwu Guards on duty nearby did not dare to be negligent and came over after hearing the sound.

After learning that it was the saint who was attacked by the tiger, he summoned more Yulin Guards to gather.

"No need to panic, the hunt continues."

In order to show his magnanimity, Li Longji ordered the imperial guards to stay around the hunting grounds and not approach them.

The hunt continues!

Waiting for the hunt to end tomorrow.

However, imperial guards began to set up defenses at the foot of the mountain to prevent tigers and leopards from rushing in again.

Li Linfu had a spy among the eunuchs. He had been resting, but when he heard the news, he immediately put on his clothes and rushed over.

When he learned that Li Xuan "took a tiger to pieces with his bare hands" and saved the saint's life when the saint was in danger, his heart trembled violently.

He knows what this means!
Li Xuan will be more favored!
The easiest way for him to deal with Li Xuan was to involve Li Xuan in the affairs of the crown prince and to label Li Xuan as someone who supported the crown prince.

Now that this has happened, Li Longji will definitely not believe it.

Because if it weren't for Li Xuan, the prince might have proclaimed himself emperor here in "Xianyang Plain".

In fact, Li Xuan's rescue of Li Longji also benefited Li Linfu and An Lushan.

When Li Heng ascends the throne, it will be difficult for these two to survive.

In order to please Li Longji, An Lushan only bowed to Li Longji at a banquet and ignored Crown Prince Li Heng.

He actually said, "I am a Hu person and I don't know what position the prince holds."

After Li Longji explained the meaning of the crown prince, An Lushan still refused to bow: "I am stupid. I only know Your Majesty, but not that there is a crown prince."

What he meant was that he hoped Li Longji would live forever, which made Li Longji very happy.

One can imagine how embarrassed Li Heng was at that time.

If he proclaimed himself emperor in Xianyang, he would take action against An Lushan second.

The first one is of course Li Linfu.

Although Li Heng was not born to Queen Wang, he was raised by Queen Wang since he was a child. As Queen Wang had no children, she was very kind to Li Heng.

It can be said that Queen Wang was no different from Li Heng's biological mother.

However, Queen Wang, who was extremely kind to Li Heng, was killed by Concubine Wu Huifei.

Li Linfu was Wu Huifei's man. When Li Ying died, Li Linfu strongly recommended Prince Shou Li Heng as the crown prince because he was afraid that Li Heng would become the crown prince.

But Li Longji did not listen to Li Linfu, but instead followed Gao Lishi's advice and made the respectful Li Heng the crown prince.

During the years when Li Heng was the crown prince, he was suppressed in every way and was always on guard against Li Linfu. At the same time, he lived in seclusion and rarely went out, not daring to make any unnecessary moves.

Therefore, at this moment, Li Linfu felt both relieved and panicked.

Because Li Xuan also wanted to kill him.

What's even more hateful is that he originally had a plan to lure Wei Jian into the saint's hunting ground, and then accuse Wei Jian of having rebellious intentions and wanting to support the crown prince.

Take this opportunity to set up a major prison.

Now the Saint Hunting Ground is surrounded by Yulin Guards and Longwu Guards. Even if Wei Jian has his own insiders, he can no longer implement that plan.

"Oh!"

Thinking of this, Li Linfu hammered the vertical railing hard.

"Right Prime Minister, the Saint is safe, you should be happy. From your expression, you seem unhappy?"

At this time, Li Longji had already entered the tent. Li Xuan came to Li Linfu and asked him something meaningful.

"General Li, please stop slandering me. When I heard that the Saint was in danger, I came here without stopping. I fainted several times. I was relieved only when I learned that the Saint was safe and sound!"

Li Linfu jumped up as if his tail was stepped on.

"That's right! I am the Right Prime Minister's savior."

Li Xuan smiled at Li Linfu.

Li Linfu's eyes changed slightly. Li Xuan saw the situation too clearly.

In this situation, he had no idea at all!

Wei Jian, Huangfu Weiming, and Pei Kuan were his enemies. Li Xuan was also an enemy. Wang Zhongsi and Zhang Chou Jianqiong were his enemies. There were many civil and military officials who disliked him.

Not long ago, his beloved son Li Xiu pointed at the servants in the back garden and advised him: "Your Excellency has been in the position of prime minister for a long time and has made many enemies. Your future is full of thorns. If a disaster occurs, I am afraid it will be difficult for you to become a servant!"

How could Li Linfu not know the heartfelt words between father and son?

He and the prince are sworn enemies. On the day the prince ascends the throne, their family will be destroyed without any need for everyone to scatter.

He would do everything he could to overthrow the prince and bring peace to the family. So he responded to Li Xiu: "The situation is like this, there is nothing we can do."

There is no return, there is only one way to go.

And Li Xuan's sudden rise made his life even more difficult.

"We are all royal family members, descendants of Emperor Taizu Jing. We are so closely related by blood that we should share weal and woe. Qilang is still unmarried, but I have a cousin who is extremely beautiful. I promise her to you. You will take my place in the future!"

Li Linfu thought about it and suddenly showed goodwill to Li Xuan.

Not only did he mention Li Xuan by name, but he also wanted to form an alliance with him through marriage to appease him.

Li Linfu thought carefully and realized that he and Li Xuan had no deep hatred, as if he had always been the victim.

He framed Li Xuan several times, but each time he failed and ended up fueling Li Xuan's rage.

"Can you believe that I have honey in my mouth but a sword in my belly? If a powerful crossbow attacks me one day, will I still have a chance to dodge it?"

Li Xuan treated Li Linfu's promise as a joke.

Even Li Hu is not allowed to come out, Li Hu is Li Xuan’s great-grandfather.

From Taizu Li Hu, to Liezu Li Bing, Tianzu Li Yuan, Gaozu Li Shimin, great-grandfather Li Chengqian, grandfather Li Xiang, and father Li Shizhi.

It's ridiculous to use someone so far away to make friends.

Moreover, in Li Xuan's mind, there is a "hidden hatred" between him and Li Linfu that cannot be resolved.

Even if Li Linfu only had a few more years to live, it was impossible to just let it go like this.

"Qilang, you were assassinated in Lingwu. It was definitely not me who did it. It was probably done by Zhang Qiqiu! I will definitely help you get rid of this anger."

Li Linfu explained to Li Xuan that it was indeed not him who did it.

Thinking of speaking to Li Xuan in a low voice at this moment, he felt very angry.

"Zhang Qiqiu has become a monk, so of course everything can be blamed on him."

Li Xuan didn't believe Li Linfu's lies.

When Zhang Qiqiu was assassinated in Lingwu, he had already been transferred to Chang'an and was directly demoted to the position of Anye Wei on the grounds of "obstructing military achievements" and "delaying military affairs."

It is not known whether it was because he was demoted too harshly or because Li Xuan's words "my heart is moving" made him repent, but Zhang Qiqiu soon resigned from his official position and became a monk.

In the future, Zhang Qiqiu will not have the opportunity to become a Jiedushi, and his son will need to work harder if he wants to become prime minister.

Therefore, Li Xuan did not think that it was Zhang Qiqiu who assassinated him, and it was most likely Li Linfu who did it.

There just hasn't been any evidence.

"I did it sincerely. You saved the saint today, so you deserve his reward. But it is also inevitable that you will be hated by others..."

When Li Linfu saw Gao Lishi coming over, he suddenly lowered his voice and gave a light reminder.

The Crown Prince Li Heng referred to by Li Linfu.

What would Li Heng think if he learned that Li Longji almost died?
The most ruthless imperial family!

I believe that Li Heng will be sad when Li Longji dies. He will feel sad for his father.

But when the emperor passed away, he would definitely be happy, because he had finally made it and no longer had to worry and be submissive.

When he is alive he is the emperor; when he is dead he is the father.

As Gao Lishi approached, Li Xuan stopped talking and just smiled.

"The Right Prime Minister can actually chat with General Li!"

Gao Lishi said something with a smile.

"Qi Lang has been a hero all his life, but he has never married. It is not a happy life after all. As an elder, I think it is time to arrange a marriage for Qi Lang!"

Li Linfu also changed his expression and smiled.

"This is a good thing!"

Gao Lishi looked at Li Linfu deeply, and then slowly said: "But Qilang is a general after all, the marshal of two towns, and he should make the decision on his own private affairs."

"That is, that is."

Li Linfu nodded without elaborating.

They were chatting "casually" in front of the campfire outside. When the lights in Li Longji's tent were turned off, Li Linfu took his leave for the time being.

He wanted to find another opportunity to deal with Wei Jian and the prince.

He doesn't care about Li Xuan for now.

There were too many life-saving talismans on her body, and both the imperial concubine and Gao Lishi doted on Li Xuan.

Unless Li Xuan himself rebels, the probability of being overthrown is very small.

Li Linfu returned to his camp and told his confidant Ji Wen about this matter.

"Right Prime Minister, after tonight, Li Xuan will be like an old tree with twisted roots. The title of 'princeling party' can no longer be added to him. Even if the fire is burned to Li Shizhi, the saint will not care because Li Shizhi has no real power."

Jiven said worriedly.

In the past few months, they have formulated countless strategies and tried every possible way to make use of the "welcoming the prince" issue.

And he had always regarded Li Xuan as his number one enemy. Now that this incident had occurred, Ji Wen suddenly felt helpless.

Originally, the plan was to plot against Wei Jian during this hunting trip, but the plan was disrupted because "Li Xuan killed the tiger".

"I know this very well. Li Xuan is a martial arts master, treacherous and cunning, loyal to the Saint, and with the help of the Imperial Concubine and Mr. Gao, it is difficult for him to be harmed by swords and axes. Let's not deal with him for the time being. Find a way to deal with Wei Jian, the ungrateful wolf."

Li Linfu waved his hands weakly and gave instructions to Ji Wen.

Don't waste your time on this.

He also concluded that the prince must be jealous of Li Xuan because of what happened tonight.

With Li Xuan's smartness, it is impossible that he didn't know.

The political situation is very complicated now.

"Right Prime Minister, does Wei Jian know what happened tonight?"

Ji Wen suddenly raised his head and asked Li Linfu.

"Wei Jian also brought his servants to join the hunt. He probably doesn't know yet!"

Li Linfu shook his head and added, "But the prince is less than ten miles away from the sage's hunting ground, so he should be able to hear the tiger's roar."

"Then we can revise the plan! I have found that Wei Jian is impatient and distracted, always losing his sense of proportion due to trivial concerns. The Right Prime Minister can send a message to the spy around Wei Jian and ask him to tell Wei Jian that the saint was suddenly attacked by a tiger and the situation is still unknown. If Wei Jian receives this message and comes to visit the saint, he will escape; if he goes directly to the prince, he will die without a burial place."

Ji Wen smiled sinisterly and suggested to Li Linfu.

To the east of Li Longji's hunting ground is the prince's hunting ground, and to the east of the prince's hunting ground is Wei Jian's hunting ground.

If Wei Jian wanted to see Li Longji, he had to pass through the Prince's hunting ground.

Ji Wen believed that with Wei Jian's character, he would stay at the Prince's Hunting Ground.

If you meet a true friend, even the white-browed tiger in the Nanshan Mountains cannot be tied up!

Ji Wen never forgot his oath. Since he had surrendered to Li Linfu, he would give his all before seeking wealth and honor.

If he is hesitant and timid, he will lose his only chance.

"Ji Qi has a plan, which puts my mind at ease. If the plan works, the doctors from the six ministries will be chosen by Ji Qi!"

Li Linfu's eyes lit up, he patted Ji Wen on the shoulder and made a promise to him.

The Langzhong of the Six Ministries was an official of the fifth rank. He could wear scarlet robes and attend daily court meetings, which was a symbol of nobility.

"Thank you, Right Prime Minister. I will serve you till my death!"

Ji Wen bowed to Li Linfu with a look of surprise.

Immediately, Li Linfu sent someone to notify the spies in Wei Jian's camp.

According to the agreement, at midnight, the spies met at the agreed location for convenience.

The servant sent by Li Linfu informed the spies of this matter and told them what to do.

"Brother, I'll take care of the night, you go and get some rest!"

The spy came back from "relief" and said to the guard servant.

The servant was drowsy, and when he saw someone offering the job, he agreed without much hesitation.

About two quarters of an hour later, the spy came to Wei Jian's tent and called out, "Husband, husband..."

"What's the matter?"

Wei Jian responded tiredly, his tone very impatient.

"My lord, this is bad. The Saint was just attacked by a tiger. Now the imperial guards have surrounded the Saint's hunting ground. I wonder what's going on inside?"

The spy shouted anxiously.

"call!"

As if a basin of cold water had been poured over him, Wei Jian suddenly became clear-headed. He walked out of the tent without putting on clothes, shoes or socks, and asked his "slave": "Who said this?"

"Just now, when I was patrolling around, I met a fellow imperial guard soldier from my hometown. He told me about the deployment of the imperial guards. My husband can check where the imperial guards are going."

The spy made up a random excuse.

Wei Jian was suspicious, so he immediately sent his slave, who had followed him since childhood, on horseback to check around the saint's hunting ground.

More than half an hour later, Wei Jian was dressed.

His trusted servant came back and told Wei Jian that the saint's hunting ground was surrounded by a crowd of people and many imperial guards were patrolling with torches.

They didn't dare to get close and returned immediately.

"How about this!"

"I am the prime minister, and you didn't tell me about such an important event?"

"Does Li Linfu know about this?"

"Go to the Saint's Camp!"

Wei Jian planned to set off to see the saint.

He went with a dozen slaves.

When he arrived near the prince's hunting ground, he suddenly wanted to see if the prince was there and whether it was necessary to ask the prince for help.

After all, it’s a big deal!

So Wei Jian brought his servants to Li Heng's camp.

In Li Heng's camp, the roars of several tigers could be heard faintly. Now there were more than a dozen guards taking turns on night duty.

"Who?"

The prince's guards shouted when they saw Wei Jian on horseback.

"It's me! Is the prince here?"

Wei Jian responded.

When the guard approached and saw that it was the Left Prime Minister Wei Jian, he was shocked.

Why would the Left Prime Minister meet with the Crown Prince so late at night?

He quickly informed Li Heng about this!

This made Li Heng furious. He ordered the guards to pass on the message: "The Crown Prince is tired. Please ask the Left Prime Minister to leave quickly. This is not the time to meet."

"Excuse me, Prince. The saint was attacked by a tiger. Don't you know about this?"

Wei Jian did not leave, wanting to know the specific situation of the saint.

The saint was attacked by a tiger, and then the hunting ground was suddenly strictly restricted, which made Wei Jian think a lot.

He was afraid that Li Linfu would seize power, so he joined Gao Lishi.

He and the prince cannot be like Meng Tian and Fusu.

As a result, the guard's message made Wei Jian shocked and depressed.

"The tiger that the saint encountered was killed by General Li, and the saint was unharmed..."

Wei Jian also understood that the imperial guards surrounded the hunting grounds not because Li Longji was in danger, but to prevent the appearance of another tiger.

He had a false alarm!
"go back!"

After Wei Jian learned the whole story, he immediately took his servants back.

He was thankful in his heart: Fortunately no one discovered his night meeting with the prince.

"Why did Wei Jian suddenly come to see me? Is there any problem?"

Crown Prince Li Heng did not sleep all night. He kept looking at the candles and crying.

After hearing the roar of a tiger in Li Longji's hunting ground, he sent someone to inquire about Gao Lishi.

Gao Lishi conveyed the message that it was fortunate that Li Xuan stepped forward, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

This incident made him feel chest tightness and difficulty breathing.

He thought nothing had happened, so he didn't tell Wei Jian. Unexpectedly, Wei Jian came running over in the middle of the night, which scared him a lot.

"I hope it's nothing, just an accident!"

Li Heng stroked his chest gently.

Although he is the crown prince, he has to tread on thin ice.

I was afraid that if I wasn't careful, I would end up like my brother Li Ying.

Although his father built the Sizi Terrace at the suggestion of Li Xuan, Li Heng knew that Li Longji did that to gain praise from people of the world who were unaware of the truth.

When it is time to be cruel, Li Longji will still be ruthless.

"Li Xuan..."

Thinking of this name, Li Heng gritted his teeth.

He thought this was someone from the same lineage as him, but even at the banquet, Li Xuan never toasted him, but just performed the normal greetings.

In Li Heng's eyes, Li Xuan was the second An Lushan.

Li Heng was angry with Li Xuan about what happened tonight.

Once Li Heng knows the details, he will be even more angry and more dissatisfied with Li Xuan.

It was because of a stone that he lost his throne as emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

……

The next day, as if nothing had happened, Li Longji recovered and continued hunting.

It was like a picture of a hunting trip, with forty or fifty riders, flags waving, horses galloping through the mountains and plains, and arrows raining down.

After a fierce chase, two more cars of prey were found.

"Humph!"

Suddenly, two wild boars were driven out of the woods.

The armored Yulin Guards dismounted and pulled the net to block the entrance to the forest, setting up obstacles.

The wild boars were rooting around in the grass, and Li Longji chased them on horseback and captured one of them.

A group of soldiers shouted and encouraged Li Longji. It took half an hour to finally kill the wild boar, leaving it with no way to escape. Li Longji bent his bow four times and shot it to death.

The imperial guards shouted Long live!
After shooting a wild boar, Li Longji dismounted to rest as he was very tired.

"There is a bigger wild boar, give it to Shichiro."

Li Longji said to Li Xuan.

"As ordered!"

Li Xuan got on the horse.

This time he did not carry a bow and arrow, but a net.

As long as you throw it, it is possible to catch the wild boar alive.

The Arabian horses were galloping like the wind. The imperial guards did not kill the wild boar, but were trying to drive it away.

This wild boar weighs more than 200 pounds, and sometimes it goes crazy and wants to ram the riders.

But they were all easily resolved by the imperial guards with superb riding skills.

"General, general..."

Seeing Li Xuan riding his horse and running with a net bag in his hand, the imperial cavalry came to help Li Xuan.

Even Li Longji was standing on the carriage and looking out, while Yang Yuhuan beside him looked expectant, hoping to see a moment of Li Xuan's bravery.

The wild boar has lost the strength to run continuously.

It usually stops to rest first, and then charges when it sees cavalry approaching.

Under normal circumstances, the imperial cavalry could easily dodge, but Li Xuan charged head-on.

He held up the net bag, ready to throw it out at any time.

Thirty steps!
Twenty steps!
Ten steps!

When he got within close distance, Li Xuan held his breath and concentrated, then threw the huge net bag onto the wild boar.

"Ow..."

Li Xuan had practiced throwing a net bag in advance, and covered the wild boar's body in one go.

It howled wildly and tried to break free, but the more it struggled, the deeper its body sank.

Li Xuan's horse missed the wild boar, and the net bag was pulled tighter. The wild boar's limbs could not touch the ground and were dragged on the ground.

After dragging the boar for dozens of steps, several imperial guards jumped off their horses, pinned the wild boar down and captured it alive.

It is rare to see a live wild boar this big!
This also indicates that the hunting has come to a successful conclusion.

They have tigers and wild boars, so they are sure to win.

When they return to gather, they will hold a grand banquet, using the meat of the prey they have caught and the fine wine they have brought with them to make for a hearty feast.

With the support of the imperial guards, Li Longji also drove to the designated location.

This area, divided into dozens of regions, is already packed with people.

They were all dignitaries, waiting for the dinner to begin.

Chen Xuanli counts the number of prey caught by the contestants.

Some princesses and princes were very miserable. They chose a poor area and could only hunt a few rabbits in two days.

Some areas are good, such as Taizi, which has two trucks full of prey.

This is because Li Heng held back, otherwise he could have captured more. He did not dare to surpass his father.

Although he gained a lot, Li Heng was unhappy.

"General Li, I hunted some game and brought it to the saint's team as a gift."

As expected, An Lushan pulled a cart of prey and came to the saint's carriage.

There was even a leopard in the cart of prey, whose neck was shot through by an arrow.

Li Xuan could not refuse, so he asked the eunuch to go to the big tent to inform Li Longji.

"Lushan has his intentions, but I will not lose fairness."

Li Longji asked the eunuch to pass on the message.

Although An Lushan did not give away his prey, he repeatedly praised the saint for his noble character and wisdom.

"Who is the general behind General An?"

Li Xuan asked An Lushan.

He saw that the man was not good-looking and wondered if he was the one.

"He is Shi Siming, the commander of the Pinglu Army under my command. His name was given by a saint. He shot this leopard to death with one arrow!"

An Lushan introduced Li Xuan and said to Shi Siming, "Why don't you pay your respects to General Li!"

Shi Siming was born only one day earlier than An Lushan. The two were from the same hometown and had been close playmates since childhood.

"Meet General Lee!"

Shi Siming immediately bowed to Li Xuan.

He had always heard of Li Xuan's reputation, but he was impatient and cunning by nature, and was not convinced in his heart.

But at this time, the only way to show respect is to bow.

An Lushan told him that no one could compare to the saint's love for Li Xuan.

"No need to be so polite, I admire a brave general like you!"

Li Xuan looked at Shi Siming with a smile. This man was much more capable of fighting than An Lushan.

Regardless of the reason, the fact that he was able to defeat Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi's 200,000 soldiers with only 50,000 troops in history is enough to prove his ability to command troops.

Although sometimes Shi Siming also suffered a terrible defeat!
"Don't dare!"

Shi Siming bowed again.

"It's said that General Li killed a 500-jin tiger with his bare hands and saved the saint. How can Shi Siming compare to General Li!"

An Lushan flattered Li Xuan.

He had already seen the tiger in the car, and it was frightening just to look at it.

He was beaten to death with his bare hands. An Lushan couldn't understand Li Xuan's bravery.

What’s more crucial is that Li Xuan had made great contributions in saving the emperor. When will he be able to surpass Li Xuan?
"It's just my job!"

Li Xuan laughed, but did not take credit for himself. He knew what An Lushan was thinking.

After some greetings, An Lushan had his prey taken away.

The sage must win, and he cannot force his prey upon him if he does not want it.

The most shocking thing about this hunt is no longer the hunting ranking.

Instead, it was Li Xuan who fought a five-hundred-pound tiger in the dark night and saved the saint.

After the hunt, the news spread like wind among the dignitaries.

Soon, all the people participating in the hunting, including their families, knew about this matter.

Their first thought was that it was incredible!
The prominence of the seventh son of the Li family will be unmatched.

This person is not a noble person with great achievements, but someone who saved his life. The saint will not be suspicious of the person who saved his life.

By dusk, Chen Xuanli had finished counting the "trophies".

The Saint is first, the Crown Prince is second, Wei Jian is third, Prince Qing is fourth, and An Lushan is fifth...

The ranking is very consistent with the hierarchy.

Perhaps the ranking was already determined after the imperial guards’ hunt.

Li Longji ordered the kitchen to process the prey, either by boiling or roasting.

All the fine wine they brought was taken out and distributed to the dignitaries and their families.

As for the hardest-working hunting guards, they won't get any...

The top ten hunters were rewarded with gold, jade, silk and brocade.

Although Li Xuan did not have a team, Li Longji rewarded Li Xuan with 100 taels of gold and 1,000 pieces of brocade.

He emphasized that this was a reward for hunting, and as for the reward for saving the emperor, he would be given an additional title after returning to Chang'an.

Li Linfu did not disturb Li Longji's interest at the banquet. He wore his signature smile from beginning to end.

"Your Majesty, rituals and music and conquest are like the two wheels of a car, neither of which can be neglected. Although the hunting was successfully completed, many fields were trampled and destroyed. I suggest exempting the people within the hunting area from taxes for two years, so that the people can spread the virtues of the sage. Hunting without causing harm to the people is something that even Yao and Shun in ancient times could not do."

As the banquet was about to end, Li Xuan made a suggestion to Li Longji.

This is the only thing he can do for the people.

When he gave advice, he would not speak bluntly, but would praise Li Longji with beautiful words.

"Yes! Prime Minister, please write this down."

Li Longji raised his wine glass and readily agreed.

Exempting hundreds of households from paying taxes for two years is a trivial matter.

But the prime minister and ministers refused to mention this trivial matter.

When this incident spread to the people, the common people all praised Li Xuan.

(End of this chapter)