Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 526 Let’s go home!

Boom! There was a loud noise, deafening!
A bright flash of lightning streaked across the sky, a huge thunder resounded through the earth, and then heavy rain poured down.

The heavy rain kept pouring down like a curtain of water, blocking people's vision. The sky seemed to have a hole in it, and the accumulated water poured down along the tiles on the roof like a waterfall.

The Daming Palace with its green bricks and black tiles seemed to be crying.

Yan Zhenqing held a bamboo umbrella and wore a straw raincoat. He hurriedly entered Danfeng Gate, crossed the parade ground and came to the gate of Dongchaotang. He was completely wet, as if he had been soaked in water.

The purple official robe stuck to his body, and he looked extremely embarrassed.

He handed the bamboo umbrella and straw raincoat to the eunuch on duty and entered the East Court Hall alone. He saw at a glance that Li Mi was discussing something with Li Heng.

"See Your Majesty."

Yan Zhenqing bowed to Li Heng, then looked at Li Mi, as if he wanted to say something. He paused, but still said nothing.

"Mr. Yan, Wang Zhongsi passed away not long ago."

Li Mi said calmly and informed Yan Zhenqing of the bad news he had just received today.

Hearing this, Yan Zhenqing was horrified, as if he had never expected such a thing to happen.

He asked with a puzzled look on his face, "Didn't Li Baoyu handle this matter properly? I had repeatedly told him to discuss this matter with Wang Zhongsi, but he didn't listen?"

If Li Mi had not never told a lie, Yan Zhenqing would have thought that he was telling a hellish joke.

"Wang Zhongsi committed suicide. He was unwilling to give up the power to dispatch troops. He committed suicide in front of Li Baoyu and many Hexi generals in the government office. It was in full view of everyone."

Li Heng waved his hand and sighed. He had a good impression of Wang Zhongsi, and he believed that this man had done no evil.

Forcing him to death is truly a sin.

Wang Zhongsi's death was too violent, and there were hundreds of witnesses. Now the news spread very quickly, and the impact was very bad.

It cannot be said that Yan Zhenqing's plan was bad. Without Fang Youde's strong army, it would be the same to pull the Chishui Army to defend the king. In any case, the central government cannot be without military support.

But I didn't expect Wang Zhongsi to be so loyal and strong-willed, and so blindly loyal to Ji Ge.

Rather break than bend!

The good plan of "sneaking into Chencang" has now encountered twists and turns. It can be said that one wave of troubles has not yet subsided when another wave of troubles arises. It is really a troubled time.

"Fang Qingzheng is leading his troops to the north. If he learns that his father-in-law was forced to death by Li Baoyu, I'm afraid he will defect to Huangfu Weiming.

Therefore, it was quite a hassle for the court to clear Wang Zhongsi’s name.”

Li Mi also sighed. He had to admit that Yan Zhenqing had not done a good job in persuading the Chishui Army to surrender, which made the central government very passive in public opinion, especially offending the circle of military families in Guanzhong.

Not to mention that Fang Chongyong, the son-in-law, is not easy to deal with and there are many hidden dangers in the future.

When a person dies, we need to make a final judgment on him. Wang Zhongsi is a person who is supposed to set the tone politically.

Li Mi believed that this seemingly "trivial" matter must not be taken lightly.

Is Wang Zhongsi a loyal minister or a traitor? Should his behavior be encouraged or suppressed?
If he was a loyal minister, then wouldn't Li Baoyu, who forced him to death, be a traitor?
How do we handle this relationship? How do we let the dead pass away in a dignified manner without upsetting the living?

In the eyes of the people of the world, did Wang Zhongsi deserve to die, or did he deserve it? Was his death as heavy as Mount Tai or as light as a feather?

The imperial court cannot remain silent and cannot turn a deaf ear and pretend that the matter does not exist.

Moreover, Wang Zhongsi's affairs after his death were also troublesome. Should he be enshrined in the Taimiao, should he be given a grand funeral, should he be given a posthumous title, and if so, what posthumous title to give him? These were all issues that faced us.

“Bai Xiaode brought Wang Zhongsi’s coffin and buried him in Zheng County, Huazhou, right in the Wang family’s ancestral land.

I have invited you two here today to discuss the follow-up measures."

Li Ying said with a sigh.

He actually didn't want to get involved in these things, but he had to step up and take care of them.

Political and military affairs are very complicated and he cannot handle them.

What Li Heng wanted to do now was to crush Brother Ji to dust. He didn't care about other things. Basically, he would issue an imperial decree based on what his ministers wanted to do. He usually wouldn't make things too difficult for these people.

After hearing Li Heng speak, Yan Zhenqing fell silent. He was in an awkward position and didn't know how to start.

If Wang Zhongsi is to be honored, then Li Baoyu and other Chishui Army soldiers will become clowns. Li Baoyu was persuaded by Yan Zhenqing to betray Ji Ge.

So no matter how the death of Wang Zhongsi was defined, Yan Zhenqing had to give Li Baoyu an explanation, otherwise who would take his words seriously in the future?

However, the impact of Wang Zhongsi's suicide was too bad, and Yan Zhenqing was closely related to it.

Now in front of Li Heng, no matter what Yan Zhenqing said, it seemed like he was shirking responsibility and making excuses for himself. It would be better for him not to say anything.

“Your Majesty, a posthumous title is necessary.

Wang Zhongsi committed suicide because he was loyal to the emperor. After all, blind loyalty is better than rebellion. If the court cannot give Wang Zhongsi a good name, then isn't it encouraging everyone to rebel? The authority of the court cannot be overthrown, and one must be upright. "

Li Mi saluted Li Heng and said.

Li Ying looked at Yan Zhenqing and asked, "What do you think, Mr. Yan? What posthumous title would be good?"

He obviously felt that there was some truth in what Li Mi said.

Yan Zhenqing pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "If we give Wang Zhongsi a posthumous title, then the provincial governors who have defected to the court, and the civil and military officials in Chang'an, won't everyone be ashamed and angry to death? What Li Xianggong said is really not acceptable."

Wang Zhongsi's brother Zhongji was called "Zhong", so those who defected to Li Ying and supported the crown prince were not all "thieves", right?
After that, no one dared to speak loudly when going out.

Yan Zhenqing obviously felt that Li Mi was "thinking too much."

It was because the official circles in Chang'an were all supporting Li Heng that the latter was able to ascend the throne and become emperor;
Instead, Li Heng ascended the throne first and then relied on his authority to promote new nobles and gain their support.

Once the order of the two is reversed, it is like the universe being turned upside down and Tai'a being held upside down.

The consequences are extremely serious.

Yan Zhenqing believed that Li Heng's position was not that stable and there were many alternatives. It would be counterproductive to damage the foundation of his rule in order to clear Wang Zhongsi's name.

Li Heng looked at the two people in front of him and really didn't know what to say.

Li Mi had almost no contact with the civil servants in Chang'an, and he only spoke on the facts. As for whether some people would "die of shame and anger" because of this, it was none of his business.

Yan Zhenqing was a leader in the literary world and a prominent figure in the official circle, so he had to consider the reputation of this group.

If Wang Zhongsi gets respect, then they will lose respect. This is a very serious political issue and not funny at all.

Good and bad, right and wrong, are often so vague. If we want to say whether these people are so-called "bad guys", then none of Wang Zhongsi, Li Mi, and Yan Zhenqing are bad guys.

But political views are often not affected by personal will. Wasn't Yan Zhenqing also trying to fill a hole?

How can he do whatever he wants?

"Your Majesty, please give Wang Zhongsi a posthumous title of Zhongwu. The court and the army need loyal ministers now."

Li Mi bowed and begged.

Yan Zhenqing immediately retorted: "Your Majesty, no, you must not give him a posthumous title, let alone allow him to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. This matter must be handled in a low-key manner."

The two of them were at a stalemate, which made Li Heng feel annoyed.

Boom!

There was thunder and lightning outside the East Court Hall! The rain was getting heavier!
The three people who were discussing the matter all had a shadow in their hearts.

Suddenly a cool breeze blew in, and the door of the East Court Hall was pushed open. The person who came in was Cheng Yuanzhen. He bowed to Li Heng, then came over and whispered a few words.

Li Ying's face turned pale in an instant!

Boom!

Another burst of thunder was heard, and the white light of lightning shone on Li Heng's frightened face, making Li Mi and Yan Zhenqing feel depressed.

"My dear ministers, the Emperor has led the Northwestern Frontier Army to capture Puzhou.

Puzhou defender Gao Xiuyan opened the city and surrendered. Now tens of thousands of troops are heading towards Chang'an!

It’s hard to say where to go. ” Li Heng’s fingers couldn’t help but tremble as he spoke.

In fact, this day will come sooner or later, but Li Heng, Yan Zhenqing and others all thought that Brother Ji would lead his troops to attack Guanzhong at least until the autumn harvest. Otherwise, due to the lack of food, once the war was delayed for a while, the army would collapse without fighting!

And now, Brother Ji probably wants to rob as he goes, and doesn't care about the food shortage at all.

Of course, it is not ruled out that he bribed Gao Xiuyan in advance.

"I have recruited 10,000 new soldiers in Chang'an under the name of the Southern Court Forbidden Army. If we also gather together the old soldiers of the Southern Court Forbidden Army and the private armies of the wealthy families in Chang'an, we may be able to get 20,000 to 30,000 people.

The treasury of Chang'an is not short of weapons and armor. I am willing to lead the troops to station in Weinan and serve as the vanguard for Your Majesty."

Yan Zhenqing saluted Li Heng with his arms crossed and asked for a fight.

The central government in Chang'an was not without military preparation. On the one hand, it issued imperial edicts to the three towns of Hexi, Longyou and Shuofang, ordering the remaining troops in these places to march eastward to defend the king; on the other hand, it was also recruiting brave men to form a new army.

However, the border troops who could fight were reluctant to come, and sent a document to reply that if the border towns withdraw more troops, they would lose cities and territory. The new soldiers who could come could not fight, and many of them were hooligans from the streets of Chang'an who were filling in the numbers.

The situation is really not optimistic.

Weinan County is a key node of the Guanzhong Canal. Controlling it basically means planning to attack Chang'an.

Chang'an is a huge city, and it cannot be defended even if one loses 100,000 troops. It can be said that it has flaws everywhere.

In the history of the Tang Dynasty, the so-called "Chang'an Defense War" was never held. The so-called "the emperor fled nine times and the country fell six times" refers to this.

Yan Zhenqing was a man who understood military affairs, so he naturally knew that it would be impossible to defend Chang'an alone. He had to pull the army to the outside to fight and block Ji Ge's route of advance.

Li Mi frowned, and saluted Li Heng with his arms crossed, saying, "I will go to Longzhou to ask for help from Marshal Fang to pave the way for your majesty's journey west."

Li Heng looked at Li Mi and Yan Zhenqing who were bowing in front of him and could not help but sigh.

These two people are responsible, so the situation is not too bad.

However, Li Heng was secretly wondering in his heart at this moment: Could it be that Wang Zhongsi's suicide stimulated the border generals on Ji Ge's side, making them feel grieving for the loss of their loved ones?

If this is the case, then it can only be said that Yan Zhenqing did not grasp the timing and opportunity well in persuading Li Baoyu and the Chishui Army to surrender.

Perhaps Brother Ji had originally tried to persuade those border generals to come to Chang'an, but there was a lot of resistance and it was difficult to do so. Now that he was sending troops to Guanzhong ahead of schedule, perhaps this was what made those border generals feel a sense of crisis.

The sorrow and the blessing of the blessings, the blessings of the blessings.

Only then did Li Heng realize how difficult it was to govern a country. Even coordinating the various interest groups and making them live in peace was a very difficult task.

"Your Majesty, there is no time to lose. We must prepare now."

Yan Zhenqing saw that Li Heng was in a daze and reminded him.

"My two beloved ministers, please go ahead. I am fine."

Li Heng nodded calmly and said.

After Yan Zhenqing and Li Mi left, Cheng Yuanzhen whispered, "Your Majesty, if this matter cannot be done, it is better to go to Shu for a while."

"If I go to Shu, I will really become a dog."

Li Ying sighed and waved his hand gently, signaling Cheng Yuanzhen not to bring up this matter again.

No matter what, he would not bow to Brother Ji.

"Your Majesty, there are many powerful people in Chang'an, and they have many thoughts. They can support Your Majesty, but they can also betray Your Majesty.

I think that Your Majesty is not safe in Chang'an now, and you should leave here as soon as possible."

Cheng Yuanzhen persuaded earnestly.

He really hoped from the bottom of his heart that Li Heng was okay. Now their fates were completely tied together. If anything happened to Li Heng, Cheng Yuanzhen would be finished too.

I have to say that Cheng Yuanzhen was right.

Li Heng was already very dissatisfied with the complicated network of relationships among the powerful people in Chang'an! He also had a very bad impression of those people!
Since those people could help Li Heng to the position, they could naturally pull him down and offer his head to Brother Ji to ask for forgiveness.

"Then where do you think we should go?"

Li Ying asked in a low voice, seeming to be interested.

Didn’t I say before that I was going to Shu?

Cheng Yuanzhen was disgusted, but he didn't dare to show it. He thought for a moment and said, "Let's go to Longzhou first and see what Marshal Fang thinks. If he is unwilling to help Your Majesty pacify Guanzhong, then Your Majesty will continue to travel west to Liangzhou."

Li Heng was stunned when he heard this.

Li Mi had already said that he would go ahead to scout the way, so why did Cheng Yuanzhen still suggest that he set off early?
After a little thought, Li Heng had the answer.

The eunuchs only care about their own status, that is, the safety of the emperor himself. As for things like the country and the people, they are not the focus of the eunuchs.

Li Mi looked at the problem from a different angle. He did not think it was dangerous for Li Heng to stay in Chang'an, but Cheng Yuanzhen saw it clearly.

Going to Fang Youde was just a "side trip", the key point was "running away".

There is another kind of "hint" here that cannot be stated explicitly: everyone, whether it is Yan Zhenqing, Li Mi, even Fang Youde and so on, are selfish, but as a eunuch I am the only one who has no selfish motives towards Your Majesty!

Li Ying felt tired after listening to this, and sighed helplessly: "When are we leaving?"

"Leave tonight. The few men that Yan Xianggong has are definitely not enough to stop the border troops coming from Hedong. Your Majesty, leave sooner and feel at ease."

Cheng Yuanzhen said this with certainty.

In the eyes of many discerning people, some battles are lost before they even begin.

At the very least, Cheng Yuanzhen was not optimistic about Yan Zhenqing.

Li Heng repeatedly weighed the pros and cons in his mind. It was not that he did not trust Yan Zhenqing, but he really could not expect too much from those hastily assembled troops.

However, if he leaves now, he will lose the prestige he has just established.

Whether to go or not is a dilemma.

"I'm not leaving."

Li Ying suddenly thought of something. He suddenly sat up straight and spoke to Cheng Yuanzhen with a calm expression.

These words scared Cheng Yuanzhen, the personal eunuch!
He anxiously wiped the stains on his face that he didn't know whether they were sweat or rain, and advised with great sorrow: "Your Majesty, this matter really cannot be delayed!"

"You go if you want to go, I won't go."

Li Heng said in a deep voice, looking a little angry.

Cheng Yuanzhen felt puzzled by this.

Li Heng was clearly very shaken before and had almost agreed to leave, but he changed his mind at the last minute.

This in the end is why?

However, Cheng Yuanzhen did not see the cold light flash in Li Heng's eyes.

Li Heng really couldn't face death with equanimity, but he was more afraid of becoming a cowardly clown who was afraid of death and fell into disgrace in front of Brother Ji.

What's more, Wei Sanniang's tombstone is still in the cemetery in the west of the city.

Li Heng didn't want to embarrass himself in front of her. Even if he couldn't get revenge, he would stand in front of Brother Ji and draw his sword in front of him!

"Go ahead, I want to be alone."

Seeing that Cheng Yuanzhen wanted to say something, Li Heng raised his hand impatiently, signaling him to shut up.

"Then wait outside the door."

Cheng Yuanzhen left the East Court Hall unwillingly and sighed helplessly.

It's already this critical moment, what's there to be stubborn about?
He had no persistence in his heart, and he didn't know that there were many things that one had to insist on and protect even at the cost of one's life. Naturally, he couldn't understand the "contradiction" displayed by Li Heng.

Cheng Yuanzhen walked out of the Daming Palace, gave a few instructions to the eunuch guarding the gate, and then walked towards the Taiji Palace with an umbrella.

(End of this chapter)