What Li Xiang said was true. Both he and Li Chengqian were surrounded by a group of ministers. These people had been with him for a long time. If they wanted to replace these old people and add some new people, no matter how capable the newcomers were, Li Xiang would eventually shake his head.
Ability is certainly important, but for those in power, the most important thing is your loyalty. If we are not of the same mind, even if you can do a lot of things for me, you will be in Cao's camp but your heart is with Han, and you don't know how much loss you will suffer in the end. So you should not take such risks. After all, in the struggle for power, even the slightest inappropriateness can cost you your life.
Li Xiang didn't want to think about himself and lose his life in this regard. Although his subordinates had never betrayed him, in this power field, betrayal was rare. There were many cases among his opponents.
For example, the surrendered Prince Landing.
While Li Xiang was thinking about Prince Landing, His Royal Highness the Prince stood obediently in front of General Sima, with several people from the Arab Empire kneeling beside him. All of these people came from the capital of the Arab Empire.
They came here for a reason. They had a handwritten letter from the Caliph, asking His Royal Highness the Prince to turn against the Caliph again and become a prince of the Arab Empire. The letter also made it very clear that as long as His Royal Highness the Prince could cooperate with the Arab Empire's army to launch a surprise attack on Sima's army, then His Royal Highness the Prince would be made the Crown Prince, and after the war, he would become the next Caliph.
His Royal Highness the Prince did not want to be a traitor, but he had no other way to survive, so he could only be a traitor. He also thought that one day he would be able to rule Arabia, but not in this way. He knew his brother too well, and he would say anything to achieve his goal. Would he want to become the next Caliph?
When he saw this sentence, he didn't believe it at all. He also often read some ancient collections. If you don't control the people who lean towards both sides well, then there will be no place for you on both sides. You may be killed by these people at any time. So without much hesitation, he asked his men to tie up the two guys.
"Your Highness is so understanding and righteous. You have truly lived up to His Highness's trust in you. The cooperation between our two armies will not be affected by these insignificant individuals. Otherwise, to stabilize the morale of the troops, you will personally send these two off."
Sima Jun took a look with his eyelids fluttering. Since these two guys are from the Caliph's side, it means that they are deeply trusted by the Caliph, otherwise they would not be able to bring this letter back. Since you want to continue to stay with us, and your performance is not bad, you have to kill these two people with your own hands. As long as these two people are killed, they will be considered as our own people, and we must cut off your retreat.
Prince Landin has not been idle during this period. He has led his army to fight battles all over the place, and has indeed gained a lot. But then again, no matter how much these gains are, they are not as good as today's situation.
After hearing General Sima's words, His Royal Highness the Prince did not show too much sadness on his face. These two men were indeed old men in the palace. One was the deputy chief of the guards, and the other was in charge of food and drink. They had served His Royal Highness the Prince since he was a child. Even if they had no merits, they had worked hard.
His Royal Highness the Prince also asked them that if they were willing to stay, they could save their lives, but these two people said a lot of good things about the Caliph, and His Royal Highness the Prince understood what they meant. Since you are willing to teach me a lesson, I must give you a chance.
His Royal Highness the Prince smiled and nodded, then took a scimitar beside him and stabbed it directly into a man's chest. He pulled it out without any effort, and then chopped off another man's head. The people around saw it clearly that His Royal Highness the Prince had really broken with the Caliph.
"I admire you! Anyone who can accomplish great things must possess this kind of determination. Come on, let's prepare a banquet for His Royal Highness the Prince, and invite the Protector-General to join us."
Xiao Shougui replaced Li Xiang to take charge of the front line. The main reason was that there were many things to do. General Sima was unable to handle it, and Zhang Jiuli was called back by Li Xiang. A strategic person was needed, so Xiao Shougui was invited.
Prince Landing also knew that Xiao Shougui, who looked very amiable, was Li Xiang's most trusted confidant, and he handled many things personally, so he was very happy to be able to teach such a person. His Royal Highness the Prince also realized that he would have to follow Li Xiang in the future, and it would be beneficial for him to have good relations with Li Xiang's subordinates.
After a while, Xiao Shougui, accompanied by his subordinates, arrived at the banquet venue. After hearing about His Royal Highness the Prince, Xiao Shougui was praised by everyone. Many of these people who surrendered from outside were in an unstable mood. They followed you today, but didn't know who they would follow tomorrow.
Therefore, when facing these people, you must test them again and again to know what they are thinking. If you let them go after one or two tests, you will be the one who suffers in the future.
So many tribal leaders in the Western Regions patted their chests and pledged their loyalty to the Tang Dynasty. Xiao Shougui had been dealing with them for several years before he finally understood what kind of people they were. If the Tang Dynasty were to be on the rise, these people would shout slogans much louder than you.
But if things go downhill, the speed at which these people change their allegiance is something you may not have seen since you were born. To put it bluntly, they are a group of guys without spines. Therefore, Xiao Shougui never regarded them as his own people. Instead, they were his children studying in Chang'an, and the Tang Dynasty court carefully cultivated them.
He and Li Xiang had also discussed this matter. It was impossible for these people of the first generation to be loyal to us. Although they talked about filial piety and loyalty to the Tang Dynasty every day, almost everyone had his own little tricks.
The second generation will have at least 30 to 50 percent, and it depends on how we educate these people. By the third generation, it will be more than 50 percent. Those people grew up under the influence of the Tang Dynasty. By the time they grow up, they may have forgotten their original tribe.
