Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 475 Pingliang Countermeasures
Pingliang, Kongtong Mountain.

The Jinghe River and the Rouge River meet at the foot of the mountain, and the top of Wangjia Peak is green and surrounded by white clouds.

There is a Shifu cave in the mountain, with a Taoist temple built on it. It has mountains on its back and water on its side. The environment is quiet. From the cave, you can see the Jingshui River in the distance, but you will not be disturbed by the sound of the water. It is the perfect place for Qingxiu.

In the evening, the setting sun slowly moved and shone on the face of a Taoist priest who was sitting cross-legged in a cave and practicing. It was a very young face with a beautiful appearance, but it should not be described as "handsome", but The nature is natural and the appearance is solemn.

Just as he was about to get up, he suddenly heard something from the mountains and forests, and he listened. I found a monk chanting sutras in the forest below, his voice old and sad.

The young Taoist priest did not think that Buddhism was a different path. Instead, he learned a lot from the other person's chanting and felt that he had a close friend. He murmured: "I regret that the sound of the sutra is incomplete. I am sad at first and then happy. I will definitely become a Taoist master."

He then walked down the mountain to look for him.

He heard the sound very close in the mountains, but he didn't know how many ravines he had to go around as he walked. Gradually, it became dark. Fortunately, he followed the sound of the sutra and finally saw a person.

It was an old monk with torn clothes and a stooped body, picking up dead branches among the rocks.

"Listening to Zen masters chanting sutras, there is a sense of being left behind in the world. Li Bi, a minor Taoist, lives here in seclusion. I am lucky to meet him."

"Xiaodao doesn't want to be prime minister."

"It turns out that I'm selling information in exchange for a bounty. Master just said so."

Li Chu said: "The Yellow Emperor heard that the immortal Guangchengzi lived in Kongtong Mountain, so he asked civil and military officials. Guangchengzi tested his sincerity and turned the mountain roads into cliffs. The Yellow Emperor could not go up the mountain, so he waited patiently for three months until the winter came. I returned after exhaustion, and went up the mountain again in the spring of the following year to look for him... My sincerity in searching for Li Shentong was no less than that of Huang Di's search for Guangchengzi."

Li Bi heard the first half of the sentence and was about to expose the old monk, because he knew all the eminent monks in Daci'en Temple in Chang'an, and there was no such thing as "lazy can", but the old monk in front of him was lying, but he was still calm. Calm.

"Ah? But can master deceive Li Shentong?"

"Your Highness, there is no road ahead." The guide who explored the route turned back to report.

"That little Taoist is Li Mi."

~~
"Master, didn't you say you were going to deceive the Taoist priest's cave? Why did you come down again?"

After hearing the second half of the sentence, Li Mi was surprised and said: "Rebellion?"

As if he hadn't seen him, the old monk gathered firewood, piled it up and lit the fire. He sat down next to the fire, took out a few yams and chestnuts from his bag, and roasted them in the fire. Li Bisui also sat beside the fire, silently accompanying the old monk.

Li Chu was unwilling to return without success. Now that the Lingwu court was founded, it was in urgent need of a real prime minister. Li Hengzheng sent people to look for Li Mi everywhere. Li Miruo happened to be in Kongtong Mountain, and he had to see him.

"You and I are destined to give it to you."

It was nearly March, and there was still a bit of late spring cold in the high mountains in the northwest. The old monk's clothes were thin, and even though he was sitting by the fire, his nose was still dripping. He wiped it with his hands from time to time, which made his nose red, and he was talking to himself. Talk.

Li Mi thought for a while and replied: "I stole the Zen master's fantasy."

Li Bi was still waiting to ask more questions. Suddenly, the old monk handed the leftover half of a taro chestnut to Li Qin's hand.

"Amitabha, my disciples understand, this is perfection."

Li Mi still patiently watched from the side, as if he had some enlightenment.

"What did the little Taoist steal from the old man?" Suddenly, the old monk turned around and asked.

He pointed at Li Mi and said curiously: "There is only one boy, not two boys."

"How can a monk's affairs be called cheating? That's enlightenment. Do you understand enlightenment?"

~~
A few days later.

"Have you heard the story about Emperor Xuanyuan coming to ask Guangchengzi?" Li Chu looked up at the scorching sun and turned to the attendants behind him and asked.

"When we passed Pingliang, didn't we hear that King Zhong had ascended the throne and was looking for Li Mi everywhere? Let's go and report this to King Guangping."

A young monk poked his head out from the bushes, looked curiously at the mountain road, and said, "I've heard of the name of the child prodigy a long time ago, and he's here."

After the old monk finished speaking, he glared, stood up, and drifted away.

"Be careful not to say too much."

This kind of words is of no use for climbing the mountain. However, Li Chu used this incident to compare himself to Xuanyuan Huangdi, which could quietly deepen others' worship of him.

"Young Taoist, don't you know that the world is in chaos? One day in the mountains means a thousand years in the world." The old monk murmured: "There is a stone chamber in Xin'an Mountain. The king entered the chamber and saw two boys playing chess."

"Master, I don't understand."

Everyone shook their heads.

"Yes." The old monk said, "He treats me sincerely, but I... still have to occupy his cave."

This old monk seems to be a little crazy.

The old monk was overjoyed and said: "I can teach you, kid. The old monk's Buddhist name is 'Lazy Can'. He was originally the abbot of Daci'en Temple in Chang'an. He fled with the emperor due to rebellion and lived here."

"child prodigy?"

Seeing this scene, the old monk clapped his hands and laughed, saying: "Okay, okay, we are destined, I will give you ten years of prime ministership."

Li Bisui took it respectfully. In the firelight, he could still see the old monk's snot on it, but he didn't think it was dirty and ate it honestly.

"don't know."

"You are wrong. The important thing is not the reward, but the practice." The old monk touched the young monk's bare head and murmured: "Don't you hear that 'Jiang Taigong fishes, and those who wish to take the bait' will take the bait." If he How can I be my close friend if I don’t have the heart to help the world?”

He spoke incoherently, as if his mind was not clear. As soon as the taro and chestnuts were ripe, he stretched out his hand and pulled them out of the fire. He was not afraid of burning them, so he opened his mouth and ate them. He didn't care if the snot on his lips flowed onto the taro chestnuts.

"Li Mi seeks immortality, but it is fruitless. It is not as good as cultivating all people with virtue. This is also practice." The old monk murmured, "Amitabha."

"The little Taoist priest is not well-intentioned and wants to steal food from the old man. Mountains and streams are easy to rise and retreat, and the little man's heart is easy to change..."

After a long time, the guide explored the road again, and it turned out that he had taken the wrong road.

Everyone returned along the trail and climbed the dangerous path of the North Peak. After walking for a long time, the front suddenly became clear and they finally found a Shifu Cave.

Li Chu's brows straightened immediately, and he had a premonition that he would soon find Li Mi. Somehow, it seemed like God's will to allow the most talented person in the world to assist him, the destined son.

He raised his hand, stopped the attendants behind him, and walked into the cave alone, where he saw a Taoist man in white packing up books.

"gentlemen."

"King Guangping?" Li Mi turned around, a little surprised, but then he realized something.

Li Chu stepped forward, held Li Mi's hand, and cried sadly.

"I finally found my husband! In the past few years since my husband was absent from the court, the world has gone through a lot of changes and the world has fallen apart. Now that I am in Lingwu, I want to reorganize the country, so I can only ask you to help me!"

There is a stone table in the cave with a piece of chess set on it, which was played by Li Mi and his servant boy in their spare time.

After a while, the chess pieces were taken away and tea cooked with mountain spring water was served. Li Mi silently listened to Li Chu talking about the dramatic changes that had occurred in the past few months; after a while, the tea cup was removed and put on the table. Got a map.

The map belongs to Li Mi. It shows the famous mountains and Taoist temples all over the world. It is not a strategic terrain. But he already knew the topography of the counties and counties in the world like a master. After a few sketches, the situation became clear.

"I am an idle hermit, and I have no intention of entering the government. Now that Your Highness has arrived, I will take up the post. I will briefly express my humble opinion, and I hope Your Highness will consider it."

Li Chu wanted to ask Li Mi to help him, and it wasn't just to suppress the rebellion. Since he was here, he definitely didn't intend to leave easily. But first of all, he showed great importance and respect for Li Mi's suggestions.

"His Highness just said that King Qing conspired to rebel, but is Chang'an City still holding on?"

"Chang'an." Li Chu hesitated slightly and said, "Although the news of the city's destruction has not yet come, it is presumed that Chang'an City has been breached."

"Sure?"

"Sage...the late emperor died, and King Qing is bluffing, how long can he defend the city with deception?" Li Chu sighed.

Li Mi nodded and did not pursue these questions for the time being. Instead, he first talked about the most critical and far-reaching matter at hand, saying: "Since your Majesty has come to the world, your top priority should be to suppress the rebellion. There will be no invaders in the world and everything will be in order." "

Li Chu turned to look at the scenery at the bottom of the mountain, thinking that Li Mi's words were not necessarily right. If Li Cong had not died, or if the saint in Chang'an was real, even if the rebellion was determined, the throne would still be changed, how could there be anything else? Can it be called "safe"?
Of course, if Chang'an has been broken, it will be as Li Mi said.

"What you said is very true. May I ask you how to defeat the thief?"

Li Bi said: "It's just four words to 'leverage strengths and avoid weaknesses'. The rebels commanded more than 100,000 cavalry outside the fortress, and the soldiers were unstoppable. The king's division should avoid field battles and attack their weak points. The rebels started from Fan Yang to Chang'an, forming a long snake." The situation is like hitting a snake seven inches away... Now whether Chang'an is there or not, the strategy is very different. "

Li Chu said that Chang'an would not be able to be defended anymore, but he didn't expect that Li Mi would make the assumption that Chang'an was still alive, which made Wei Wei feel uncomfortable.

Li Bi said: "If Chang'an is still there, Chang Qing can be sent out of Qishan. Then Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi will march westward to fight. Then he ordered Li Guangbi to take Linjin, force Tongguan, and cut off the thoroughfare of the Three Qin Dynasty. No balance is allowed.”

They all know that if Chang'an is still there, Li Heng only needs to dispatch troops and generals, and saving Chang'an is actually a very simple matter.

Li Mi's face became more serious. Although he was in the mountains, he could see the world's major events more clearly than many people who were deeply involved in the situation. He has realized that the situation has so far, the emperor's prestige has plummeted, and it is possible that it will evolve into a situation of separatism among the princes in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

"It is not enough to just defend Chang'an. The king's army must strive for long-term peace and stability. It is advisable to order Guo Ziyi not to abandon Hebei, return to Jingxing, and take Fanyang. If the thieves lose their lair, they will not have the trouble of resurrecting. In this way, the rebellion can be stopped before March. "

Li Chu still agreed with Li Mi's views from the bottom of his heart, but he still had a different perspective.

"But if you send Feng Changqing out of Qishan, wouldn't you save Li Cong who was plotting against him? Furthermore, if you don't order Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi to come to Lingwu to meet him, you might be afraid that they will be deceived by Li Cong."

"Your Highness is worrying too much." Li Bi said: "As long as the rebellion is put down, and with this great achievement, why does your Majesty fear King Qing?"

Li Chu was anxious in his heart, but there were some things that he couldn't elaborate on, so he had no choice but not to argue with Li Mi on this matter, and said: "My knowledge is shallow, but what should I do if Chang'an has been lost?"

Li Mi's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the map, knowing that if this happened, he would have to spend more time and energy to reverse the strength gap between the officers and soldiers and the rebels. A rebellion that could be put down quickly would have to be delayed for two years. Around.

He still had a strategy, so he pointed at the map and continued talking.

Of course, he still hopes in his heart that Chang'an City is still there and the chaos can be put down as soon as possible...

~~
Pingliang.

In a courtyard surrounded by guards, Chen Xilie was sitting on a recliner and falling asleep.

Gao Shen was pacing back and forth in the hall, still indignant.

"The saint has issued an edict and ordered King Zhong to serve as Shuofang's military envoy to support Chang'an. How dare he disobey the edict, proclaim himself emperor without authorization, and imprison us here. Isn't this considered treason?!"

Chen Xilie sighed slowly: "Now that the matter has come to this, what's the use of walking around?"

"Does Mr. Chen have anything to say?"

"Now that we have come, let us be safe. Don't worry. With my experience and reputation, King Guangping will not kill us."

"What I'm worried about is Chang'an." Gao Shen said, "My parents, brothers and sisters are all in Chang'an. I never thought that King Zhong would be so... disregarding the justice of the country!"

Chen Xilie shook his head and sighed: "We have done everything we can do about this matter, just wait."

There are some things that he knows better than the young man Gao Shen.

The reason why he agreed to Xue Bai's mission was, first of all, as he said just now, Li Heng would not kill him because of his reputation; secondly, Pingliang and Lingwu must be safer than Chang'an; on the other hand, his home Xiao Que is still in Chang'an, so now that he is here, he has to do something to defend Chang'an. In addition to passing the decree, he also secretly sent someone to deliver a letter to Cen Shen, the judge of Anxi Jiedu. This is Chen Xilie real effect.

Xue Bai obviously didn't expect him to convince Li Heng to save Chang'an. It was enough to contact Cen Shen and then Feng Changqing. As for the concubine Shen of King Guangping, she was used to hide her from others.

According to the plan, Gao Shen has completed the escort mission and only needs to wait with Chen Xilie. Maybe wait until news of the Anxi Army rescuing Chang'an, maybe wait until Chang'an falls...

"I can't wait here."

Gao Shen looked out the window and whispered: "Prince Zhong and his son don't need to be saved, but I have to go back to Chang'an."

Chen Xilie said: "Then why are you here?"

"I, I have expectations for them." Gao Shen slapped himself.

This man seemed to be a reckless person who acted impulsively, but in fact he was very thoughtful. He had already noticed that in the past two days, there were far fewer guards in the camp, and King Guangping seemed to be absent.

While he was talking, he was actually observing the terrain outside the window.

In the evening, someone came to bring them food. Gao Shen burst into flames, smashed the bowl in his hand, picked up a piece of broken porcelain... and then suddenly took Chen Xilie hostage.

"You! What are you doing?"

"Don't come here, or I will kill him. An old minister like Chen Xilie died in Pingliang. Can you explain it?"

The guards looked at each other for a moment, not knowing what to do.

……

The next morning, Li Chu took Li Mi back to Pingliang, only to find that the city gate was closed and a search for fugitives was underway in the city.

"What happened?"

"Back to Your Highness, Gao Shen, the Forbidden Military Academy general sent by the rebels, escaped from custody, but he must still be in the city because the city gate has not been opened."

"understood."

This was a trivial matter to Li Chu. He assigned people to continue the search and invited Li Bi into the city. He asked Li Bi every day about strategies to rectify the chaos and live with him.

In this way, a few days later, Li Heng called him back to Lingwu. Before leaving, Li Chu heard a strange thing again.

"Your Highness, Gao Shen has not been found."

"In such a small Pingliang City, if people hadn't escaped from the city, where would they be?"

"The general is incompetent. After much thought, I think someone has hidden Gao Shen. Please give the general some more time, Your Highness."

Li Chu thought for a while, turned around, and walked towards his residence. He walked around the main house and walked to the back room, where he saw Shen Zhenzhu packing his luggage.

Seeing him coming, Shen Pearl was very surprised and asked with a smile: "Your Highness, why are you free to come here today?"

"What about people?"

Shen Pearl was stunned and asked in confusion: "Who is your Highness asking about?"

"Where did you hide the traitorous Imperial Guard who escorted you?"

"What?" Shen Pearl was still confused.

Li Chu didn't talk to her anymore. He waved his hand, and a group of strong women went straight into her house and rummaged through the boxes and cabinets.

"Your Highness, what are you looking for? Are you doubting that I am pregnant?"

After a while, a strong woman came out holding a porcelain bottle and said: "Your Highness, this is medicine for wounds!"

Li Chu then looked at Shen Zhenzhu's innocent eyes and asked with his gaze.

"No, it's for my own use. I was injured in Chang'an."

"Where's the injury?"

"Your Highness, listen to me..."

"Where's the injury?" Li Chu asked impatiently.

Shen Pearl's eyes soon shed tears. She put her hands in front of her and begged, "Your Highness, can I please explain to you in private?"

Li Chu didn't have the time or energy, so he ordered: "See where she is injured?"

Immediately, a maid came forward to hold Shen Pearl down and untie her dress. She struggled endlessly and begged Li Chu not to examine her in public, but it was useless no matter how much she cried and begged.

A maid hurriedly ran forward, knelt down and begged: "Your Highness, Mrs. Shen is the biological mother of King Fengjie after all. I beg your Highness to save her some face for the sake of the young man."

"It really hurts."

Li Chu looked where the strong women were pointing and saw scratched finger marks on Shen Pearl's thigh.

"Your Highness, no." Shen Pearl cried and curled up, hugged her shirt and skirt, tried her best to cover her legs, and sobbed: "It's not like that... I didn't give it..."

"Is it...Xue Bai?"

Suddenly hearing this name, Shen Zhenzhu was shocked and looked up at Li Chu blankly.

Afterwards, she shook her head.

She had only met Xue Bai once or twice in Chang'an, so she really didn't know why he asked like this.

Li Chu seemed to see from her expression that he had wronged her, and seeing that nothing was found, he frowned and said, "Okay, it's okay."

His tone had returned to calmness, and after saying that, he walked out.

Shen Zhenzhu was even more confused. She thought he would be angry and even beat her or scold her. But Dudu didn't expect that he just said it in such an understatement, as if he saw traces of something insignificant.

The reason why he came to search was because he was worried that dangerous people were hiding here, but he was not jealous of her at all.

Ultimately, he just didn't care about her.

Li Chu walked out of the courtyard, still frowning and muttering to himself: "Where else can I hide?"

After much thought, he could only think that Gao Shen had escaped over the city wall. That afternoon, he took Li Mi to Lingwu, but he didn't notice that there was more of a thoughtful look in Li Mi's eyes.

~~
The Longyou Ancient Road is filled with wind and sand, and the sound of rapid horse hooves can be heard from behind.

Li Mi looked back and saw a sentry horse running towards him. He then pondered: "It seems to be urgent news. This sentry horse is from Guanzhong. It must be news from Chang'an?"

"It's time that Chang'an was lost."

Li Chu responded, drove his horse forward, left Li Mi's side, went to meet the sentry horse alone, and listened to his report.

"how?"

"Chang'an is still holding on, and the defenders even captured the rebel camp at one point."

"How could it be?" Li Chu was surprised and subconsciously turned his head and glanced in Li Mi's direction.

Seeing this scene, Li Mi recalled what he heard two days ago.

As soon as he entered the city, he realized that the "hunt for rebels" in the city was strange. Since the rebels had not attacked Longyou, how could there be rebellion in Pingliang? So he found Gao Shen first and learned that the saint in Chang'an City was real, and the loyal king was the traitor.

"If the saint is a fake, how can he issue an edict to make King Zhong the governor of Shuofang? The imperial edict is in the hands of King Guangping, but he hides it, his heart is to be punished!"

Li Mi did not express whether he believed Gao Shen's words or not.

Since he resigned, he has become a Huawaishanren and no longer cares about the court disputes. He didn't care who among the kings was loyal and filial, and who was treasonous. He came out this time just to put an end to the chaos.

"I brought a box of books, you hide it in it."

"and then?"

"I am talking to King Guangping, you can listen in the box. When I leave the city, I will try to let you go. You can go back to Chang'an and tell Xue Bai... hold on and wait."

~~
Changan.

After Cui Qianyou was attacked, he became furious and his offensive became more and more fierce.

Faced with such an offensive, people in Chang'an City were shaken every day.

In this way, Xue Bai had to reveal his plan in order to calm people's hearts.

"This matter is confidential and you must keep it secret."

The first person to listen was Yuan Zai, who nodded hurriedly and said: "The King of Peking doesn't trust others, how can he not trust me? I have the strictest mouth."

"Your position is also the most uncertain."

"The King of Peking has misunderstood. I just never participated in party disputes and only focused on doing practical things." Yuan Zai looked serious and swore: "But from today on, I will obey the leadership of the King of Peiping."

"Okay, let's stop talking." Xue Bai pointed at the map and said: "Don't look at the tens of thousands of rebels attacking the city with great momentum. What is its biggest weakness? The front is too long. To deal with this front, What to do?”

"Tch." Yuan Zai said, "Cut off their front?"

"Yes, our plan is to use Feng Changqing to lead the Anxi army into Guanzhong; then let Li Guangbi capture Linjin and force Tongguan; the most important thing is to order Guo Ziyi to go out of the well and force Fan Yang directly. How about it?"

Yuan Zai said: "If this is the case, the siege of Chang'an can be solved, but how could it be possible if King Zhong has not already proclaimed himself emperor?"

"fake."

"Fake?" Yuan Zai was stunned.

Xue Bai said: "What do you think I went to Chencang for?"

Yuan Zai opened his mouth and said, "Could it be King Zhong?"

"Shh." Xue Bai said, "I will only tell you about this matter. Li Heng and I have agreed to work together to defeat the thief, and then we will talk about other things. The army is already on the way, and now it is just spreading false news to make the rebels take it lightly."

"..."

After hearing what he said, Yuan Zai was determined and said: "Don't worry, King Beiping, I will keep this matter secret."

"Go."

After Yuan Zai left, Xue Bai asked someone to recruit the next person. This time it was Xu Anzhen, Minister of Industry.

After talking about the plan to defeat the enemy, facing Xu Anzhen's doubts, Xue Bai said again: "Xu Shangshu, I will only tell you about this matter."

"King Peiping, don't worry, this matter will never reach the ears of a third person..."

(End of this chapter)