Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 471 Brother Ji’s footsteps are quiet
In March, outside Chang'an and on Guangyun Lake, there are pleasure boats everywhere.

Liu Xiyi, a poet in the early Tang Dynasty, wrote in "Eight Songs of Jiangnan" in "Xianghe Geci": The painted boat is shallow in the smoke, and the blue sun is dim in the sun.

Poets and dignitaries would rent a pleasure boat, invite a few singing girls and dancers, travel around the mountains and rivers, and compose poems. In the scholar-official circle, this was a very elegant and romantic way of entertainment.

Many famous poems were also born.

The sun was warm and the breeze was blowing, and the tourists all had satisfied smiles on their faces. They had no idea that Hebei, Hedong, Henan and other places were now in the midst of war.

They enjoyed the singing of poems by the singers, cooked fine wine, ate delicious food, told interesting jokes, and watched the beautiful mountains and rivers outside the window.

At this moment, on the side of a very large pleasure boat on the shore of Guangyun Lake, Gao Lishi gently placed a blanket on Ji Ge's legs, then stepped aside without saying a word.

"Lu Shi, how is the battle going on ahead?"

Brother Ji, who was staring at the surface of Guangyuntan River, suddenly asked.

"Reply Saint, everything is fine."

Gao Lishi spoke cautiously, bending over, not daring to meet Brother Ji's eyes.

"Not bad? Is it good or bad?"

Brother Ji turned his head and looked at him with an unfriendly tone, somewhat blaming.

"Hedong and Henan are both fine."

Gao Lishi was still vague and refused to tell the truth.

“说吧，没什么不能说的。”

Brother Ji sighed and waved his hand weakly.

His face looked much older than before, and he looked listless. It was obvious that he was exhausted by a series of events, including the Hebei Rebellion.

"Fang Guozhong defeated the bandit army led by Cai Xide on the mountain road east of Yuci County. The latter retreated to Jingxing Pass and did not leave, which temporarily relieved the danger in Taiyuan."

Gao Lishi introduced it slowly, word by word, for fear that he might say something wrong and irritate Brother Ji.

After a long silence, Brother Ji sighed and said, "Fang's father and son are both good generals."

After considering his words, Gao Lishi replied, "Indeed, Fang Youde has also defeated the strong with the weak many times in Henan and harassed the enemy's food supply route. So far, Huangfu Weiming has not organized a large army to attack Luoyang."

"What's the use of being able to fight! I want people who obey my orders! If you don't obey my orders, the better you fight, the more trouble you will cause!"

When it comes to Fang Youde, Brother Ji's defense breaks down instantly.

Gao Lishi stopped talking, and he didn't know what to say. Being betrayed by the person he trusted the most, one can imagine the resentment in Ji Ge's heart.

"The elite troops from the two towns of Hexi and Longyou should have reached Chang'an by now, but why are there still no signs of movement?"

Ji Ge suddenly remembered this. From Liangzhou to Chang'an, there is an official highway. According to the speed of ordinary passengers, it takes 18 days to travel. If it is a march, it will be faster.

The scouts sent messages on express horses, and the horses were constantly changed at the post stations along the way. Without any stops in between, a trip only took three days.

The rebellion in Hebei has been going on for nearly two months, and the elite troops from the west should have arrived long ago.

However, the truth is that the border troops in Hexi and Longyou did not move at all! They did not even move a mile!
"Sir, the governors of the two towns have both written to the emperor, saying that the Tibetans are ready to make a move in the west, and that if we mobilize our troops, there is a risk of their downfall."

Gao Lishi explained helplessly.

Brother Ji stopped talking. There was no point in being furious at this moment.

"Go back to the palace."

Ji Ge suddenly felt bored and had no interest in playing anymore.

In his opinion, Huangfu Weiming from Hebei would not be able to cause any trouble; the real problem lay with Fang and his son.

Their threat is much greater than that of the Hebei rebels!

It is not certain what Fang Chongyong is thinking now, but if he sides with Li Heng... that would be very bad!
Brother Ji is brewing a big plan in his mind.

"When can Wang Zhongsi arrive in Chang'an?"

Brother Ji stood up, looked at the green surface of Guangyuntan River in the distance and asked.

"Wang Zhongsi's son Wang Yanshu has already entered the capital. Your Majesty does not need to doubt his loyalty."

Gao Lishi defended Wang Zhongsi. Most generals who were willing to send their sons to Chang'an to serve as the vanguard did not have any complicated thoughts.

Of course, there are also those ruthless people who don’t care about the lives of their families and children. Only God knows what kind of person Wang Zhongsi is.

"Let Li Guangbi lead the Chishui Army to Hedong to help Fang Guozhong defend Taiyuan."

Ji Ge suddenly issued a puzzling imperial edict to Gao Lishi.

"Saint, this is..."

Gao Lishi was a little confused about what was going on.

"Send someone to give Wang Zhongsi a secret decree. If Li Guangbi does not go to Hedong, then let Wang Zhongsi purge the high-ranking officers of the Hexi frontier army and replace all those who can be replaced!"

Brother Ji clenched his fists tightly, his face looking ferocious.

Gao Lishi quickly bowed and said, "Please calm down, Your Majesty. I will send you back to the palace and go right away."

He lamented in his heart that the saint was really old.

Since the sage could not do anything to the Fang father and son, he took out his anger on others. The emperor who once dared to seize power in a coup in adversity has now become a coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong.

However, Gao Lishi still didn't understand why Ji Ge asked Li Guangbi to lead the Chishui Army to Hedong?

……

Snapped!
Sun Xiaozhe received a hard slap on the face!

He looked at his adoptive father Shi Siming in disbelief, totally unable to understand why after he returned to Xiurong City, Shi Siming not only did not comfort him, but instead slapped him in the face and looked furious.

"Fool! You are such a hopeless idiot! You can't even see through such a crude counter-espionage plot!

Cai Xide is going to rebel! Do you know that he is going to rebel? "

Shi Siming cursed at Sun Xiaozhe and trembled with anger.

He suddenly drew out his sword without warning and slashed at Sun Xiaozhe.

"Foster father! Stop it now! That bastard Cai Xide is colluding with the government troops. He wants to lose on purpose! It's none of my business!"

Sun Xiaozhe shouted and dodged Shi Siming's slashing, and hurriedly ran out of the signing room on the tower. Shi Siming sheathed his knife only after he chased him out of the door.

"This is bad."

Shi Siming couldn't help but sigh.

He came to the map, staring at the location of Zhending and Jingxing Pass, frowning. It didn't matter if Cai Xide surrendered, it was just a few thousand soldiers, Shi Siming could afford the loss.

But he wanted to offer the two Jingxing passes to Fang Chongyong as a step to promotion, which was very bad.

Once Jingxing Pass was breached, the western gate of Hebei was wide open. With only 10,000 elite soldiers, they could move back and forth in the heart of Hebei.

This has already damaged the foundation of the Hebei rebels!
In order to save the defeat, Shi Siming had to withdraw from Hedong, return to Hebei via Feihu Pass, and fight with the government troops in the hinterland of Hebei.

This is extremely cost-effective!
How to break the situation?
Shi Siming immediately sent someone to call his strategist Li Shiyu. Li Shiyu was helping him with strategies during the conquest of cities.

After a while, a man in his fifties, with a thin face, ordinary build, wearing a brocade robe and a long beard, came to the signing room. This man was Li Shiyu.

Shi Siming was not polite and directly told Li Shiyu everything about Cai Xide's previous defeat, the situation encountered by Sun Xiaozhe, and Fang Chongyong's letter of persuasion to surrender.

"General, Fang Chongyong is only a military governor. How can he have the right to pardon the enemy commander? Persuading Shi Siming to surrender is just a temporary measure. Don't take it seriously!" Li Shiyu hit the nail on the head and directly said that Fang Chongyong had no sincerity in persuading Shi Siming to surrender.

“I know about this, but I just don’t know what to do next.

I heard that Marshal Huangfu is also in a bad situation in Henan, and I am worried!"

Shi Siming shook his head in disappointment. Sun Xiaozhe was really useless. He relied solely on brute force to fight and his brain was not much better than a pig!

Huangfu Weiming was also a rubbish at fighting. More than fifty days had passed, and he hadn't even started attacking Luoyang!
"I'm afraid Cai Xide is going to rebel. Fang Zhongyong took Sun Xiaozhe's letter of guarantee and showed this letter of persuasion to Cai Xide. Even if I were to encounter such a thing, I would also be shaken."

Li Shiyu sighed lightly and told Shi Siming everything he wanted to say without reservation.

He is a very talented person, but he has always been depressed and frustrated.

The Tang Dynasty had been peaceful for a long time, and the social atmosphere was extravagant. If the dignitaries and literati did not use some poetry and songs in their daily conversations and writings, people would not want to listen to you talk about serious matters!

Li Shiyu was talented and held an official position, but because of his poor literary talent, he was repeatedly suppressed and could not be promoted.

Therefore, they had to seek refuge with the Hu people who were somewhat literate in order to seek a way to advance.

Li Shiyu had a sharp eye and saw through Fang Chongyong's plan at a glance.

"Mr. Li is a man of great talent. This is exactly what I am worried about. However, Xiurong is very far away from Jingxing Pass. Even if we want to deal with Cai Xide, it is beyond our reach."

Shi Siming couldn't help but sigh, feeling depressed as if he had no strength to use.

"General Jie, we can't go on like this. If we just defend passively, we will always be controlled by others.

However, if the enemy can go, I can go too. If you don't give up, I am willing to bring some capable and eloquent people to sneak into Chang'an and spread rumors that Fang Chongyong wants to split off Hedong and establish himself as king.

At that time, the emperor will kill him to see whether he will rebel or not.

If he wants to rebel, we can pull him over, isn't that wonderful? If he doesn't rebel, it's no less than the government army cutting off one of its own arms.

I have thought of the prophecy: With gold and jade in the mouth, and unparalleled courage in the heart. There is a dragon vein in Taiyuan, and you will prosper if you get it. "

Li Shiyu suggested in a low voice.

Hearing this, Shi Siming clapped his hands and laughed, "Great! Mr. Li, what a brilliant plan! Fang Zhongyong can use the strategy of alienation to force Cai Xide to rebel, so why can't I use the strategy of alienation to force him to rebel? I'm afraid that the old emperor in Chang'an City can't stand it anymore."

The depression in his heart was instantly swept away.

As for whether Li Shiyu's trick was useful or not, Shi Siming didn't care. He was free anyway.

"Then I will set off for Chang'an."

Li Shiyu saluted Shi Siming with his arms crossed.

"Excuse me, sir."

Shi Siming pretended to do a very non-standard cross-arm salute. He was always hot-tempered and rude in his words and deeds. But when facing intellectuals, he still liked to pretend to be polite.

After Li Shiyu left, Shi Siming hesitated again and again, but decided to keep his troops in place for the time being and observe the battle situation in Hedong before deciding whether to withdraw to Hebei to defend against the surprise attack from the government troops in Jingxing.

He is like a patient wolf king, lurking when the situation is unfavorable and waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

……

Fang Chongyong didn't know that Shi Siming wanted to use a plot to alienate him. Of course, even if he knew, he couldn't stop it. This move seemed like a conspiracy, but in fact it was a real conspiracy.

Only God knows how much mutual trust is left between an old emperor who has lost his sense of security and a lone minister whose father has "rebelled".

Human nature cannot stand the test!
But at this moment, Fang Chongyong was doing another important thing.

At the foot of Fangshan Mountain, by the Beichuan River, Fang Chongyong, accompanied by Che Guangqian and others, took only a few guards and walked along the river, waiting for Cai Xide's arrival.

"General Jie, will Cai Xide not come?"

Che Guangqian asked doubtfully.

At this moment, the two of them were by the river, picking up stones and skipping them on the water.

"No, Cai Xide will not only come, he will even come every day these days."

Fang Zhongyong turned around and pointed to the traces of the burnt-out bonfires at the edge of the woods and explained, "This place is rarely visited by people, and it is even more unlikely that anyone would stay overnight here. Who lit these bonfires?"

Che Guangqian suddenly realized and tried to figure out Cai Xide's situation. She found that the other party was probably very anxious, unable to make a decision, and looked restless.

It's a bit like a bootlicker waiting for the goddess to come for a date.

"Marshal Jie really understands Cai Xide."

Che Guangqian couldn't help but laugh.

Fang Zhongyong smiled bitterly and shook his head, then sighed and said, "When a rabbit dies, the fox mourns. It's just the grief of its own kind."

His current situation is no different from that of "Cai Xide" on the government army's side.

"General Jie, many people are now discussing in private whether or not to join the Crown Prince.

What do you think? "

After a long silence, Che Guangqian suddenly asked.

"What do you think?"

Fang Chongyong asked in a deep voice.

“The prince is just a puppet, a banner to rally people’s hearts.

After the rebellion in Hebei is quelled, those behind him will inevitably jump out to fight for power and profit. The prince may not be able to deal with them.

The other princes were no pushovers either. Many of them had already been sent out as military governors, and they would surely stir up trouble.

It is easier said than done to bring peace to the world!"

Che Guangqian shook her head and sighed. Although she did not give a direct answer, she also pointed out the disadvantages of relying on Li Heng.

The reason why the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army stands out from the crowd is that it relies on the overwhelming advantage of imperial power, which allows it to select elite troops from the border troops.

This privilege is granted by imperial power.

Crown Prince Li Heng seemed to be the heir to the throne, but his foundation was too weak. In the future, the emperor would be small and his ministers would be great.

Joining such a person would be as risky as fighting another battle with the Hebei rebels. The Silver Spear Filial Piety Army was not strong in political struggles, unless they really mutinied and rebelled!

"That's about it. In order to stay in power, the emperor will definitely use eunuchs. If Li Heng doesn't use them, his successor will.

The military governors in various places will be divided, the eunuchs in the central government will be monopolistic, and foreign races will become more powerful. This will basically be the trend for the next 10 to 20 years.

We are bound to get into trouble, but we cannot actively participate in it.

You know, in this kind of mess, the first one to come forward will die first!"

Fang Chongyong was explaining to Che Guangqian when he saw a few people walking towards him from a distance. They were wearing the yellow uniforms of the Hebei rebels and were not even wearing armor.

"May I ask if this is General Cai in person?"

Fang Zhongyong shouted to those people.

When they got closer, one of them came forward, and the other party saluted with a fist and said, "The criminal Cai Xide pays homage to Marshal Fang Jie."

This person is undoubtedly Cai Xide!
Che Guangqian on the side couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Cai Xide must have been observing in the dark for a long time before he came out.

Fang Zhongyong understood these people's thoughts. If more people came from his side this time, the other party might not show up.

(End of this chapter)