Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 294 Today’s humiliation, I, An Lushan, will be rewarded generously in the future

At the time of spring plowing, the banners on the city head of Heyang City, the capital of Mengzhou Prefecture, were fluttering. Carload after carload of military rations from outside the city entered the city and were loaded into granaries. They were all transported here from Hanjiacang in Luoyang City as military rations.

Fang Youde put his hand on the sword on his waist and looked to the north. He stood at the top of Heyang City with a stern face and didn't know what he was thinking.

Heyang is the northwest gateway of Luoyang, and to the south is the sandbank in the middle of the Yellow River. After Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty moved the capital, he built a pass on the sandbank and a city on the south bank of the Yellow River.

A solid defense line was formed across both banks of the Yellow River, with three cities guarding each other.

To the northwest of this line of defense is Zhiguan, which leads directly to Hedong. To the north is Hanoi, and to the northeast is Xiangzhou (Yecheng), Hebei. Stuck here, if the northern army wants to cross the Yellow River, it must go through Hulao Pass!

The "one-button, three-company" defensive arrangement of the three cities of Heyang can be said to be the core node for guarding the two areas of Hedong and Luoyang at the same time. It is a well-deserved battleground for military strategists.

Fang Youde originally trained the Shence Army in Huaxian County. After receiving the order from Ji Ge, he led 12,000 elite Shence Army soldiers to station in Heyang for training.

Three thousand men of the vanguard army have been deployed, and the remaining nine thousand men have just left Puzhou (Puban) and are heading towards Heyang one after another.

So why did the Shence Army leave Guanzhong and rush to Heyang?

Because Brother Ji had previously sent an imperial edict to Fang Youde, asking him to lead troops to deploy defenses at key nodes on the north bank of the Yellow River in case of emergencies.

As long as An Lushan finds an excuse not to come to Chang'an, no matter what the excuse is, Fang Youde will lead the Shence Army to Youzhou and temporarily lead Fan Yang Jiedushi. Then, with the Shence Army as the main force, some Youzhou soldiers and horses were gathered to form an expeditionary force, and they went directly to Liucheng, Yingzhou, to relieve An Lushan of his military power! Purge his cronies in the Pinglu Army!

Not only that, in order to eliminate the root cause and avoid future troubles, Ji Ge also authorized Fang Youde to attack the tribes next to the city where Ping'an Lushan is located "when necessary"!

Heyang, where troops are stationed in all directions, is just a trick of the gentleman to put pressure on An Lushan! There was no attack on Hebei, but all the border towns in Hebei, Qiu Ba, understood what the imperial court meant.

Although Ji Ge believed that An Lushan was unlikely to have the ability to rebel, Fang Youde still suggested to be prepared and let the Forbidden Army from Guanzhong go out to station in Heyang to intimidate An Lushan.

This is not a bad thing for Brother Ji.

Because this move was not only to intimidate the border envoys in Hebei Province, but also to demonstrate the majesty of the imperial authority.

Brother Ji thinks Fang Youde's suggestion makes sense. If the Forbidden Army is deployed in Heyang, An Lushan will definitely have to come to Chang'an. In this way, Brother Ji will have face, and so will An Lushan. It is a "win-win" for the two of them.

On the contrary, if the imperial court had no military deployment north of the Yellow River, An Lushan would think there was a loophole to take advantage of, and deliberately find excuses not to come to Chang'an.

At that time, both sides were afraid. Brother Ji could not step down. An Lushan was also held up and unable to move, and was in a dilemma.

An Lushan can't say that he is rebelling for no reason at this time, right?

"You'd better come to Chang'an, otherwise it won't look good if I lead troops to Hebei."

Fang Youde hammered the parapet on the Heyang Tower with his fist and muttered to himself.

"Fang Jieshuai, Pinglu Jiedu envoy An Lushan, with a hundred soldiers and more than ten staff, is already a mile away.

They sent someone to hand over customs clearance documents, hoping to pass through Heyang City. "

At this moment, a soldier came to Fang Youde and whispered in Fang Youde's ear.

"This An Lushan is quite interesting."

Fang Youde said with a sneer on his lips, clenching his fists.

According to the normal marching route, An Lushan should take the post road along the Northern Canal to the north bank of the Yellow River, then cross the river from Heyin County to Xingyang, then take the Hulao Pass from Xingyang to Luoyang, and finally take the official road from Luoyang to Chang'an.

The biggest advantage of this road is that there are sufficient supplies throughout the whole journey, the road is flat, and the stations are one after another without having to worry about logistical issues.

As for Anlu Mountain, taking the Heyang road, there is no advantage except bypassing the stations along the way and Luoyang. The reason why he chose this way was probably just because he was afraid of being assassinated!

If you take the post road, every time you pass a post station, it is equivalent to reporting to the court at the same time that a certain official has been stamped at this post station. In this way, An Lushan's whereabouts were not only under Ji Ge's control, but also under the surveillance of relevant departments of the court.

If someone wants to create trouble to block him, it will be easy! Avoiding surveillance at the inn can improve your concealment along the way.

An Lushan's caution is evident.

"Call the elite Shence Army from the previous battalion to escort An Lushan all the way to Chang'an.

But remember, An Lushan must not have more than two personal soldiers and no more than one aide.

The other Pinglu army soldiers and horses have to be stationed in Heyang City and cannot pass the pass. "

Fang Youde ordered coldly.

"This... General Fang, doesn't he go and see for himself?"

The soldier asked with a strange look on his face.

An Lushan was the governor of Pinglu and had a good reputation, so Fang Youde's attitude was too arrogant and unkind.

But having said that, when Jiedushi entered Shangjing (Chang'an), he really couldn't bring too many personal guards with him. One hundred people was obviously much more than the required establishment. Of course, two personal soldiers are too few. Generally, Jiedu envoys walk along the post roads, surrounded by more than thirty people including personal guards and staff. This is the official establishment stipulated by the imperial court.

The temporary establishment is similar to those homeless people on the streets of Chang'an. Although Jiedushi can recruit as many as he likes, checkpoints in various places have the power to stop these people. It just depends on whether they are willing and worthy of cooperation.

It belongs to the category of "can be managed or ignored".

Fang Youde detained most of Anlushan's soldiers in Heyang and asked his Shence Army to escort Anlushan. There was no problem in the process.

As long as An Lushan can be sent to Chang'an safely, then this is a normal order that complies with laws and regulations.

Of course, if something happened to An Lushan under the escort of the Shence Army, Fang Youde would have to shed his skin even if he died!

And even if it could be delivered safely, it would be completely impossible for the feud between the two to be resolved in the future. Because this is Fang Youde using the court rules to slap An Lushan in the face, and the other party can't resist!

"The Jiedushi of the border town brought a hundred soldiers into Chang'an. When he told the story, outsiders thought that our Shence Army officers were made of mud and could not even protect a single border general!

If they don't listen, then you can just go up and disarm. This general doesn't want to see An Lushan.

If An Lushan refuses to accept it, he will be detained in Heyang City.

As for what the saint will think and how the court will deal with it, that is all my business! "

Fang Youde scolded the soldier who was full of doubts with a sullen face.

Seeing that his boss was getting angry, the soldier quickly crossed his hands and saluted: "General Fang, please don't worry. I'm here to deliver the order."

After the soldiers left, a mysterious smile appeared on Fang Youde's face. He couldn't help but pull out the sword from his waist, and let out a clanging sound like a dragon's roar.

"The Tang Dynasty existed in Zhaozhao, and God provided for all nations.

There is no need for An Lushan. "

Fang Youde said quietly, looking deeply to the north, as if his gaze could see thousands of miles and focus on Youzhou.

He humiliated An Lushan in Heyang, and even had the possibility of provoking the other party to rebel. Would Brother Ji care about this kind of thing?

Fang Youde felt that Brother Ji would not care. The generals of the Forbidden Army and the generals of the border army were at loggerheads. This was something that Brother Ji wanted to see in his dreams.

And removing the soldiers around An Lushan was only the first step to lead him into the urn.

Fang Youde came to the Mengzhou government office study room that had been requisitioned as the office of Shence Army. Soon, a man who looked like a scribe came to the study door and knocked on the study door under the unkind eyes of the two Shence sergeants.

When this person was introduced to the study, Fang Youde discovered that the other person was Zhang Tongru who had been rejected by him at the beginning.

"General Fang, the personal guards around An Jie Shuai are just to protect his safety. These people will be stationed at the east post of Chang'an City and will not enter the city.

I also ask General Fang to show his noble hand and let me go. I am very grateful. "

Zhang Tongru's posture was very low, and his tone of voice was extremely humble.

He understood the rule of not seeing the king. It was impossible for An Lushan to meet Fang Youde directly. No matter what the positions of both parties were, it was the same. Otherwise, many things will not be explained clearly, and there will be no room for maneuver between each other.

Zhang Tongru knew that Fang Youde was deliberately making things difficult for An Lushan this time. The other party was indeed using clear rules to punish him, leaving him speechless and forced him to submit and beg to be let go.

"The imperial court stipulates that when officials go to their appointments and report on their duties, they must go through the official route and be received by the post station.

Take notes along the way and don’t neglect it.

This general is very curious. Your Anjieshuai doesn't want to take the main road, but he is keen on taking the trails with few inns.

Now let me explain the reason to this general. "

Fang Youde said with a smile, which made Zhang Tongru's heart tremble.

If An Lushan took the official road and stayed at the inn, he would not have passed through Heyang City at all! An Lushan just didn’t want to cross the Yellow River from Heyin County, didn’t want to go to Xingyang, didn’t want to go through Hulao Pass, let alone Luoyang! I don’t want to take the long and narrow official road that must pass through Shaanzhou!

Go west from Heyang, pass Wangwu Mountain, take Zhiguan to Hedong, and then enter Guanzhong from Hedong. This is the route An Lushan wants to keep a low profile. This is reasonable and in line with our own needs, but it is not in line with government regulations.

Heyang City blocks a road from Hebei to Hedong, and also blocks a road from Hebei to Luoyang.

Zhang Tongru really couldn't answer Fang Youde's question. They met Fang Youde here, which in itself showed that they did not follow the laws of the court.

"I know something is wrong, so I would like to ask General Fang to be accommodating."

Zhang Tongru said softly.

"There's nothing to say. Can't the officers and soldiers of the Shence Army even protect a Jiedu Envoy?

You can stay safely in Heyang City, or you can return to Liucheng in Yingzhou. Shence Army will arrange the schedule for Commander An Jie.

If you feel this is not appropriate, then go back to Heyin County honestly, cross the river from there to Xingyang via Hulao Pass, and follow the post road all the way to Chang'an!

Choose one of the two! "

In fact, there is another option, that is, Fang Youde lets An Lushan and his party cross the river to Guandao, which is the widest only road between Chang'an and Luoyang, and then go all the way to Guanzhong.

That's not bad either.

But obviously, Fang Youde was deliberately putting small shoes on An Lushan!

"General Fang asked us to cross the river to the post road and enter Guanzhong from the direction of Shaanzhou. Isn't it okay?"

Zhang Tongru asked in a low voice.

"What do you think? Do you want me to say it a second time, general?"

Or do you think that this general cannot kill a staff member like you who is not even an official? "

Fang Youde put his hand on the hilt of the sword and asked in a bad tone.

"General Fang has done a great favor today, and Commander An Jie will be rewarded generously in the future."

Zhang Tongru said bitterly, crossed his hands and bowed before turning around and leaving.

People have to bow their heads under the eaves. There is nothing they can do about this loss today, so they have to find their place again in the future.

Zhang Tongru didn't believe that the Shence Army dared to do anything to An Lushan!

After he turned around and left, Fang Youde looked at the other person's leaving back and murmured to himself:

"Then I'll wait."

……

In the study room of Prince Yong's Mansion located in Lantian County, Prince Yong Li Lin was walking around the room like an ant on a hot pot, very anxious.

After a while, he looked at the man standing in the study with his hands down. The old god was acting noble. He grabbed the other person's sleeve and asked in a low voice: "Why don't you go to Chang'an City East Station again? There is no one here today." Let’s go and see, maybe An Lushan has arrived in Chang’an?”

"Even after arriving in Chang'an, it would be inconvenient for Your Highness to contact him now. That would be too fake.

Only after the saint takes action and slanders An Lushan for sending assassins to kill Pei Kuan can His Highness contact An Lushan.

Only then could An Lushan listen to His Highness's words. "

Gao Shang said slowly, seemingly not in any hurry.

"how do I say this?"

Li Lin asked in a deep voice.

"The saint has a prerequisite for taking advantage of His Highness, that is, His Highness has the opportunity to seize the throne and become the crown prince.

Only in this way will the letter written by His Highness to An Lushan become a source of evidence.

But is His Highness’s goal to become a prince? How could His Highness become the Crown Prince? "

The noble words were like a sharp blade, opening a long hole in Li Lin's heart.

Yes, since it is impossible to inherit the position of prince, it is impossible to peacefully inherit the throne as prince. Then we can only play the Xuanwu Sect inheritance method.

They even raised troops from border towns to seize power!

In this case, what is the significance of the so-called evidence of An Lushan's dealings?

As long as a gambler dares to flip the table, any rules on the table will be invalid to him!

Thinking of this, Li Lin's handsome face flashed with a hint of ferocity, his hands clenched into fists, then slowly relaxed, and finally let out a long sigh.

"I understand."

Li Lin nodded slightly and said.

"Can An Lushan beat Fang and his son?"

Li Lin asked a question that struck straight to the soul.

"They can't be beaten, but just because they can't be beaten, the power of their father and son is coming to an end, and the saint will definitely not be able to bear it.

When the water is full, it will overflow; when the moon is full, it will be in decline. The day Fang Chongyong returned to the court from his training in the Western Regions was the day when the saint took back power from their father and son.

At that time, An Lushan can play his card well. Your Highness, you are so young, what can't you wait for? "

Gao Shang suppressed the excitement in his heart and urged.

"What you said makes sense."

Li Lin nodded and said, feeling a little more motivated.

Yes, he is still so young and has decades to live, so why can’t he wait?

At this moment, a man dressed as a chamberlain hurriedly came to Li Lin and said in front of Gao Shang: "His Royal Highness, An Lushan has arrived at the east post outside Chang'an City and is waiting for the saint's summons to enter the city."

coming!

Li Lin was so happy that her body was shaking with excitement.

"Your Highness, please bear with me a little longer."

Gao Shang quietly pulled Li Lin's sleeves.

(End of this chapter)