Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 570 Harmony
Puzhou, Yishi County.

The old soldier who raised horses for the army would pass by a small pavilion outside the city on his way home every evening. The pavilion stood beside a mountain road, surrounded by mountains and water, with a beautiful scenery.

For the past six months, there has been a middle-aged man who has been drinking from a small wine bag while watching the scenery and the sunset.

This man had a thin appearance, a deep temperament, and simple clothes. His most distinctive feature was that he had a severe limp.

At first, the old soldier who was tending the horses approached and asked, "You were also in the army, right? You have a murderous aura about you."

"I served in the army in Anxi for several years."

“No wonder your accent doesn’t sound like a local.”

"My ancestral home is here. When I was young, I wandered to the Western Regions with my grandfather."

"Now that the world is at peace, are you going to retire?"

The middle-aged man smiled, took a sip of wine, and said, "Yes, I have retired and returned to the countryside."

Having said that, he squinted at the horizon, as if he was reminded of the yellow sand of the Western Regions again.

From that time on, they would often chat with each other, and the middle-aged man would sometimes pass the wine bag in his hand to the old soldier and share the wine with him.

The old soldier was not satisfied after tasting it and said that although his wine tasted good, it was too little.

"My wife is very strict and only allows me to drink once a year."

"A soldier is afraid of his wife?"

"My wife is right. I have a limp and gout. Drinking too much is not good for me. I just have a little bit every day."

So whenever the wine in the wine bag was finished, the middle-aged man would tilt his head back and open his mouth wide until the last drop fell into his mouth. Even if the old soldier laughed at him, he would always do so.

That day, the old soldier returned home late due to some matters and thought that the middle-aged man was gone, but he did not expect that he was still there.

"Hey, why are you still here so late today? It's not easy to walk on the road when it's dark."

"I will leave tomorrow and say goodbye to you."

"Where?"

"Call me to battle."

The old soldier was puzzled and said, "Don't lie to me. You are old, thin, lame, and sick. How can you go to the battlefield? The court is becoming more and more unreasonable in recruiting soldiers."

"I can't fight in battle, but I can barely command a battle."

"You're getting more and more ridiculous. Is there any general as poor as you?"

The middle-aged man just smiled, pointed to the completely darkened skyline in the distance, and said, "It would be nice if we could go back to Anxi. There are mountains over there, too, but they are not as lush and green as here. There are grasslands under the mountains over there, and it's free and unfettered."

"Alas, I have been a soldier all my life, and have raised horses all my life, but I have never left Puzhou."

"What a pity! The world is vast."

The old soldier felt the difference between himself and the other party. Although the other party was thin, lame and sick, he was like the most majestic horse in the stable, even more like an eagle that could soar with just a spread of its wings. It had been perched here before, but now it shook its feathers, ready to spread its wings and fly high into the sky!
From that day on, the old soldier never saw the middle-aged man again.

Sometimes when he passed by this small pavilion on his way home, he would stop to watch the sunset. Until one rainy day, there was no sunset. He thought of the middle-aged man who watched the sunset regardless of the weather. What was he watching?

west.

It turned out that what he was looking at was not the sunset, but the Western Region thousands of miles away.

The old soldier tried to open his eyes wide, as if to use his gaze to penetrate the barriers between heaven and earth, to look at the desert, snow-capped mountains, grasslands, and Gobi, and to feel the ambition in the man's heart.

Then one day, the old soldier heard a conversation between two colonels in the army.

"It's General Feng Changqing. He was demoted to the position of Chief of Puzhou. He returned to his hometown to recuperate, but now he has been called back."

"How come I haven't heard of such a person in the county before?"

"I heard that General Feng was a quiet, diligent and frugal man. He only had two horses in his private stable, and all his salary was spent on the sick and injured in the army. After returning home, he only bought a small house and lived in seclusion."

"What about the family?"

"It is said that he was trapped in Anxi and has been dead for many years..."

After hearing this, the old soldier couldn't help but wonder whether the man he knew was Feng Changqing.

If that was the case, then there was actually no one to tell Feng Changqing to drink less. As he held the little bit of wine in the wine bag every day, did he still remember his deceased wife's instructions?
~~
Several riders, exhausted and dusty, entered Chang'an City and headed straight for the majestic Daming Palace.

The lame middle-aged man got off his horse, staggered forward, and said, "Puzhou Chief Secretary Feng Changqing has come here by imperial decree to see the saint."

The last sentence made the guards at the palace gate frown, and they secretly cursed the man for being ungrateful.

"The Saint is still recovering from illness today and cannot meet General Feng. The General can attend the ceremony tomorrow."

Feng Changqing didn't know what this ceremony was at first, but he knew that the emperor and the saint would be there. He took out the formal dress that he would only wear a few times a year, and followed the officials to the Temple of Heaven before dawn.

Compared with the Kaiyuan and Tianbao periods, the scale of today's royal ceremonies has been reduced a lot. They are less luxurious and more solemn.

When the sacrificial music sounded, Feng Changqing raised his eyes and was stunned when he saw Li Longji slowly standing on the altar.

Li Longji had not appeared in front of his ministers for some time, but he did not look older than the last time. His hair was combed meticulously, his complexion was good, and his face was cheerful, making him look energetic.

He glanced around and was quite surprised to find that among the ministers, in addition to Wei Jiansu, there were also his old ministers including Li Xian, Li Mi, Feng Changqing and others. He nodded involuntarily.

"I haven't seen you all for a long time. I know you have served me well, and I am very pleased."

"We, the ministers, only wish that the Supreme Emperor will live in good health forever!" Du Youlin took the lead in bowing.

Li Longji said: "I only wish that the country will be stable and the people will live and work in peace and contentment."

"The blessings of the Tang Dynasty are profound, just as the Emperor said."

Such a conversation between the monarch and his ministers was obviously not like what Feng Changqing believed when Xue Bai just became regent, that was to hold the emperor and the sage hostage. It can be seen that Feng Changqing's exile was not unfair.

Afterwards, Li Longji closed his eyes, sighed, and talked about business.

"My second son, Ying, is intelligent and wise, and has a good career. Unfortunately, his fate is not in harmony with the emperor's will. He married an old man at an early age. The love of his family has deeply shocked him."

In front of his subjects, he recounted the merits and injustices of his son Li Ying, and by the end he was filled with grief.

Li Cong stepped forward to comfort Li Longji at the right time.

But when the father and son stood together, Li Cong looked even more shaky.

After that, there was another performance, and Li Cong asked someone to read out the imperial edict.

"The late Crown Prince Ying, who inherited the blessings of Heaven, maintained the glory of his great name, and was the most respected person in the world, was my younger brother. I, with my limited body, inherited the throne, and was not able to perform the ritual of giving up the throne. I did not apply for the title of Crown Prince, so I respectfully posthumously named him the Emperor of Fengtian, and my Consort Xue was posthumously named the Empress Gongshun..."

Hearing the imperial edict, Feng Changqing narrowed his eyes and stared at Li Cong for a while in a somewhat rude manner, trying to detect the strange expression on the emperor's face.

However, Li Cong remained calm throughout, as if he had figured it out. The throne did not originally belong to him. Although it fell into his hands due to a series of misfortunes, he was only there to play a role of connecting the past and the future.

After reading the imperial edict, Li Cong's face turned paler and he could not hide his dejection.

Finally, because Li Cong could not stand for long, the palace servants brought two stools for him and Li Longji to sit on, and then hastily ended the sacrifice.

After the Emperor and the Saint left, only the Crown Prince continued to complete the sacrifices to the Emperor Fengtian.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Feng Changqing stopped the imperial carriage in front of all the officials and requested to meet the saint.

This matter made Li Cong very embarrassed. It was not until an eunuch came up to him and whispered something that Li Cong agreed to meet Feng Changqing in Yanying Palace.

Feng Changqing claimed that he was someone the emperor could trust, so when he met the emperor, he paid attention to whether the emperor would give him any hints.

Unfortunately, Li Cong was unfamiliar with political affairs and had nothing to say when talking about the war with Tubo.

After chatting for a while, he said with emotion: "I am old."

These words revealed a kind of sadness that his time was running out; he was really in poor health.

In fact, Li Cong had already shown signs of decline before ascending the throne, but the excitement of becoming emperor made him regain a lot of vitality. However, Xue Bai's regent made him lose his spirit, and the decline was aggravated.

"I am willing to sacrifice my life for the saint, but I don't know what I can do?" Feng Changqing asked.

It took him great courage to say this.

If Li Cong was unwilling to acknowledge the current crown prince in his heart, he would swear to maintain the legitimacy of the Tang Dynasty at his death.

Li Cong turned around and looked at him in surprise. A strange look appeared in his lifeless eyes. His lips trembled twice, and he hesitated whether to speak or not.

Feng Changqing looked around and saw only a few palace servants standing far away. He leaned forward and asked the emperor to whisper to him and entrust him with important matters.

Li Cong understood what he meant, leaned over and whispered something.

"Feng Qing, do you know a Taoist priest who can make pills?"

"I am stupid." Feng Changqing was stunned for a moment, puzzled.

He thought of Li Xiazhou and tried to guess what the emperor wanted to say.

Are we going to talk about destroying Buddhism? The rumor in the world is that the Taoist priest Li Xiazhou instigated the prince to destroy Buddhism.

Or, the saint is talking about the gunpowder made by Li Xiazhou? It can be used on the northwest battlefield or somewhere else.

Seeing that he was puzzled, Li Cong sighed and said, "I really want to know if there is really an elixir of immortality in the world."

"saint?"

"Does Feng Qing know?"

Feng Changqing pursed his lips tightly and remained silent for a long time.

He looked at the aging face in front of him, and could no longer see any life in it.

Li Cong didn't care what this minister thought of him, and murmured: "When I was in the palace, I also refined some elixirs. Now that I live in the deep palace, I feel uncomfortable..."

Feng Changqing bowed deeply and said, "I will take my leave."

His faith has been shaken. If he is asked again whether he still suspects Xue Bai is holding the emperor hostage to control the princes, he will not be as sure as before.

~~
After leaving Yanying Hall, the eunuch led Feng Changqing to Xuanzheng Hall. Regardless of whether he admitted it or not, he was now the crown prince who was in charge of the government, ensuring the normal operation of the court and dealing with the powerful enemy of Tubo.

When they arrived at the Xuanzheng Hall, the eunuch reported and asked Feng Changqing to wait for a moment, saying that His Highness was meeting the Emperor.

After a while, Gao Lishi came out and said with a smile: "General Feng, please go in. The emperor wants you to discuss something."

Feng Changqing was not surprised that the retired emperor had summoned him for an audience, but when he slowly climbed the stone steps and entered the Xuan Zheng Hall, he was surprised to find that the retired emperor and the prince got along so harmoniously.

Not only Xue Bai and Li Longji were in the hall, but also several prime ministers and important officials of the court.

Obviously, asking the emperor to preside over a discussion on the war with Tubo was the opinion of all officials in order to stabilize people's hearts.

Xue Bai posthumously conferred the title of emperor on Li Ying. If he gained something, he had to make concessions. The art of power struggle is mutual compromise.

Feng Changqing approached and saw that Li Longji's even older face was still full of spirit, and his cloudy eyes still flashed with wisdom and friendliness. Feng Changqing's eyes were sore and he immediately fell to the ground.

"I was born poor and humble, but I was trusted by the Grand Emperor and promoted to be a military governor. I have risen from humble beginnings to become a prominent official. I do not know how to repay the Grand Emperor's kindness."

Li Longji sat there, patted his knees, and said, "Then you should help the prince and fight this battle for the Tang Dynasty."

Such a calm and majestic words made Feng Changqing feel at ease, because the morale that had been lost after meeting Li Cong just now was immediately boosted again.

His blood boiled, and he immediately responded loudly: "I obey your order!"

Compared with Li Cong, Li Longji, who was very old but still maintained an enterprising spirit, is indeed inspiring.

"Prince, help him up."

Li Longji stroked his long gray beard and gave another instruction.

Since he had given the order to Xue Bai, he had to do it and stepped forward to help Feng Changqing.

But putting aside this ostentatious behavior, Li Longji's actions actually helped Xue Bai handle state affairs more smoothly.

At least, Feng Changqing's attitude towards Xue Bai changed immediately. When Xue Bai stretched out his hand, he was unable to help him up immediately.

Feng Changqing bowed firmly and said, "I have deeply misunderstood Your Highness in the past. Please forgive me."

"Since you have been exiled, all the crimes that should be punished have been punished. Get up and talk about the war situation."

"Here!"

A map from Helong to Anxi had already been spread out in the hall.

In front of Li Longji, Li Xian first talked about the current situation of the war with Tubo. Dazhalugong's 300,000 troops were coming in three routes. Guo Ziyi had few soldiers and could only retreat and defend. At the same time, he ordered his soldiers to harvest wheat and clear the fields.

As for Yuan Zai's proposal to send troops to Yuanzhou, it was a good idea from a strategic point of view, but Guo Ziyi believed that the city of Yuanzhou had been burned down by the Tubo army. Once the troops were sent out, they would have nowhere to station and it would be difficult to transport food and fodder. They would easily be besieged by Tubo and put themselves in a passive position.

Taking advantage of this incident, Guo Ziyi also said in his memorial that the war with Tubo would be a long-term war lasting several years or even more than a decade. Only when the country's strength can fully surpass Tubo will there be a chance to gradually recover lost territory and counterattack Tubo. Haste for success will only put the war into a passive position.

In this regard, Xue Bai asked Feng Changqing for his opinion.

Feng Changqing had a different mentality from Guo Ziyi. He was more eager to connect with the Western Regions.

However, he had been in the four towns of Anxi for a long time and was not very familiar with Hexi and Longyou. After comparing the military strength and money of both sides and looking at the terrain, he believed that the only method available to the Tang Dynasty at present was passive defense. This view was the same as that of Guo Ziyi.

His eyes kept wandering around the map, trying to think of more solutions.

At this time, Li Mi spoke.

"Several generals have clearly analyzed the battlefield situation. Although I am not talented enough, I can suggest a strategy to trap Tubo. Perhaps in a few years, Tubo will no longer be able to invade the east."

In the past, when discussing matters, Li Mi would often just stand there and close his eyes to rest, looking as if he was unwilling to help Xue Bai. But today was completely different.

Li Longji and Li Cong posthumously conferred the title on Li Ying, which represented the royal family's recognition and acceptance of "Li Qian", while Xue Bai's invitation to Li Longji to discuss the matter symbolized openness and harmony with the royal family.

A loving father and filial son, and a stable royal family, this is the situation that all officials want to see most.

Even if it's just to encourage Xue Bai to keep trying, Li Mi has to use all his skills today.

"If the Tang Dynasty can make an alliance with the Huihe in the north, whenever Tubo sends troops, the Huihe can be ordered to help. When Tubo invades the border, troops must be divided. Your Highness once quelled the Nanzhao rebellion, but in recent years, there have been wars in the Central Plains and you are unable to look south. You can send envoys to Nanzhao to send troops out of Mengshui, and Tubo's rear will be in chaos. The Arabs are the strongest in the Western Regions, from the Pamir Mountains to the Western Sea, covering almost half of the world. They and India admire the Tang Dynasty and have been enemies with Tubo for generations. Send envoys to persuade them to cut off their ties with Tubo. In this way, our tea, silk, porcelain and other goods of the Tang Dynasty can be circulated between various states and exchanged for war horses, while Tubo will be trapped and unable to raise troops again."

Everyone in the hall nodded repeatedly, impressed by Li Mi's great talent.

This suggestion boosted everyone's morale and clarified the general direction of the future situation between the two countries.

In comparison, Xue Bai's plan of pretending to form an alliance with the Tubo Zamp but actually alienating the Tubo monarch and his ministers seemed a little petty.

However, although Li Mi's strategy was grand and long-term, it could not solve the current problem of insufficient defensive forces and money in the northwest in a short period of time.

Today, when Li Longji was here, some officials had mentioned "recruiting soldiers" and "increasing taxes" several times, but because they were afraid of Xue Bai, they never said it.

"Changyuan's proposal is very good. We should send an envoy to the Huihe to order them to send troops." Li Longji spoke again, "What do you think, Prince?"

"Your Majesty, I think this is feasible."

Xue Bai did not give Li Longji too many opportunities to take charge of the situation. He then turned to the prime ministers and asked, "Who do you think can be sent as an envoy to Tubo?"

"The Prince of Dunhuang, Li Chengcai, is marrying a Uighur princess, so he can be the chief envoy." Li Xian said immediately.

Feng Changqing kept his eyes on the map with a thoughtful look in his eyes. He listened to the court officials discussing the diplomatic mission to Uighurs, and his eyes gradually became determined.

Finally, he limped two steps and said politely: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, I would like to lead a troop of troops through the Huihe Pass to Anxi, and lead the Anxi troops to attack Tubo from both sides and open up Hexi."

"It's been too long." Li Longji asked, "How many troops are there in Anxi now?"

Li Xian replied: "The road is cut off, and the court does not know how many troops are left in Anxi. Moreover, the road is long and the baggage cannot be carried. How can General Feng return to Anxi?"

"I will reach Anxi even if I have to eat wind and drink dew!"

Inside the hall, only Xue Bai looked at Feng Changqing with admiration in his eyes.

This is why he must employ Feng Changqing.

Thousands of miles of raids, surprise attacks, this is Gao Xianzhi's best fighting style. Xue Bai could use Gao Xianzhi to return the four towns of Anxi via the Huihe, but he was afraid that Gao Xianzhi's face would be ruined, and without the court's pardon, he would not be able to quickly gather Anxi's troops. With Feng Changqing, it would be different. The cooperation between these two people was perfect.

"How many men do you want?" Xue Bai asked.

Feng Changqing said: "I do not ask for more soldiers, but I ask that you lead the Anxi soldiers to go there."

This included generals such as Li Siye, Duan Xueshi, and Ma Lin, and Xue Bai was reluctant to let them go.

But now the Hexi Corridor has been occupied, and the vast territory of the Central Plains and Anxi of the Tang Dynasty has been divided into two. The longer it takes, the more difficult it will be to connect them. It is indeed these brave generals who have a glimmer of hope to do what ordinary people cannot do.

Xue Baisui nodded subconsciously and said, "I'll think about this again."

When the ministers saw this, they knew the prince's inclination and naturally analyzed the interests. They each drafted a plan or wrote a letter of dissuasion.

Li Longji closed his eyes and rested, no longer participating in the meeting.

He knew his limits and would occasionally show his presence, but he did not dare to anger Xue Bai.

Finally, Xue Bai said: "I will send the emperor back to Taiji Palace."

"It's hard to believe that you are so filial despite being so busy."

Seeing how happy they were, the ministers felt more at ease and all took their leave.

As the number of people in the Xuanzheng Hall decreased, Li Longji looked at the figures that were gradually moving away, and a hint of uneasiness seemed to flash across his eyes for a moment.

He only feels safe in the presence of these officials.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his arm and he couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine.

Turning around, I saw Xue Bai's handsome profile.

"I will help the emperor."

"Okay." Li Longji showed a kind smile, stood up, and sighed: "I haven't had time to ask, have you comforted your grandfather and mother?"

"Yes."

"I feel so ashamed of them." Li Longji said, "Fortunately, they have a son like you who is so heroic and brave... I was also like this when I was young, but I have become confused in my old age."

As he said this, he shook his hand to indicate that he did not want to ride in the imperial carriage.

So Xue Bai supported him, and the two of them slowly walked down the long stone steps in front of the Xuan Zheng Hall.

At this time, if Xue Bai gave Li Longji a push, Li Longji might fall to his death on the stone steps, but there was really no need for him to do so.

"Don't worry, what I did today was to help you take control of the situation." Li Longji added, "Because I am sure that you are my grandson, and you are exactly the same as I was when I was young."

Xue Bai said: "The saint's health is getting worse day by day."

Li Longji did not accept that Li Cong was a saint, so he took a moment to realize that Xue Bai meant that Li Cong was about to die.

If Li Cong died, Xue Bai would naturally ascend to the throne. Even if Li Longji was alive and well, it would be useless. Although Li Cong was a waste, his role was crucial.

Xue Bai said this to test Li Longji. If Li Longji still wanted to stop him from usurping the throne, he should be nervous about this.

however.

"He has always been weak, I'm afraid he will die before me." Li Longji said in a calm tone, "But don't worry, I'm here to ensure that you inherit the throne smoothly."

Xue Bai glanced at him with a scrutinizing gaze, but could not see any flaws in his eyes.

Those eyes were full of loving affection, which made Xue Bai inexplicably annoyed for a moment, but he stood on the stone steps and looked at Chang'an City, and restrained himself.

"I confiscated all the temple property a while ago, and many people in the court wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to ask the emperor to take control of the government again. Maybe I didn't do a good enough job."

"I am old and no longer have the ambition to do so." Li Longji shook his head. "Don't pay attention to those people who are busy with their own business."

This statement was not convincing enough, so he looked at Chang'an City outside the palace wall for a while and added another sentence.

"Remember, if you and I join forces, we will surely help you create another prosperous era, one that far surpasses the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras. In this way, my heroic name can be preserved, and my posthumous title after my death..."

He paused for a moment, then said in a resounding voice, "It must be a beautiful posthumous title."

(End of this chapter)