Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 600: Don’t Do It, Don’t Stop
The curfew ended and the gates of Chang'an slowly opened. Many people discovered that an army was camped at Xiwei Bridge, not far west of Jinguan Gate, and they were flying the flag of the Control Crane Army.

The people of Chang'an naturally knew the Konghe Army very well, so they were not too panicked and just did what they had to do. Compared to their hungry bellies, these soldiers also became kind-hearted.

Not long after, Zhang Shao came to the Ministry of War in the imperial city and questioned Yan Gaoqing face to face, asking why he did not prepare dinner for the Konghe Army last night and why he did not give the Konghe Army any rewards for its march.

Upon hearing this, Yan Gaoqing felt puzzled.

The food shortage in Chang'an is now so severe that one dou of rice costs two thousand wen, or two strings of cash.

If you ask the court to prepare meals for you, you have to follow the "food standards", which means you have to slaughter pigs and sheep.

Where can we get food? Where can we get meat?

The dry food has been distributed in advance!

Even if Chang'an prepared dinner for the Konghe Army, it would only be porridge and wheat rice, which would not be better than dry food.

As for the rewards for the expedition, Yan Zhenqing had already discussed that with Li Jiaqing and Li Huaiguang, father and son. The bonds and silks have been given. What else do you want?
Thinking of this, Yan Gaoqing also became famous!
“The country is in trouble now, this is the only condition!
There is no food, and even if you kill me, I won’t be able to produce any.

The same principle applies to rewards!

None!
You should leave Tongguan and head to Luoyang to ask Li Baochen for it! There will be rewards for military merits!"

In view of Zhang Shao's impolite tone, Yan Gaoqing also had a stern face and a businesslike attitude.

The bureaucrats in the Ministry of War all came to watch, but no one dared to say anything. They knew that Chang'an was short of food, and their own food rations were not sufficient, so they lived a tight life.

Everyone’s belly is attached to the back.

These soldiers should have gone to the war as soon as possible! Wouldn't there be food if the canal transportation was opened?

What are you still wasting time on in the suburbs of Chang'an!
In the Ministry of War, almost no one stood on Zhang Shao's side.

"Minister Yan, I'm going to ask you one last time, are you going to give me the reward or not? I just don't believe there's nothing good in the emperor's inner treasury!"

Zhang Shao threatened fiercely.

But, he guessed wrong!

Because the emperor's inner treasury, that is, the Taifu Temple, was emptied during the previous turmoil in Chang'an. The money in the treasury was earmarked for a specific purpose, and a lot of it was used to buy food.

It was so empty inside that rats could roam the streets.

It’s not that Yan Gaoqing didn’t want to adapt, but that he simply couldn’t adapt!
"I still say the same thing: No! That's right!

Even if you kill me, I won't be able to produce what you want!"

Yan Gaoqing refused to give in and spoke righteously.

People who tell the truth are always upright. This is what Yan Gaoqing was like at the moment. He was not lying.

His eyes were majestic and righteous.

It was his negligence that he did not wait outside the city last night. He should have greeted Li Huaiguang and his party outside the city.

However, what is strange here is that generally speaking, if the army is close to a city and has something to do, they will send people to contact it in advance.

Not sending anyone means that they don't want to get involved and everyone can go their separate ways.

Because most of the time the army was just passing by on a quick march and didn't want to delay their journey for some trivial matter. If the government in the city sent someone to contact them, it would be a hindrance.

If the Control Crane Army wanted to have food and drinks in Chang'an, they should have sent someone to contact them in advance and the two sides should have discussed it first. If they didn't send anyone, it meant there was no demand, so the court would naturally not arrange it.

After all, Chang'an was in such a severe shortage of food, and the imperial court had its own difficulties. With the market price of two thousand coins per bushel of rice, how could the imperial court entertain the Konghe Army with a good meal?
Therefore, Yan Gaoqing believed that it was the soldiers of the Control Crane Army who were deliberately making trouble because they did not get the bounty for marching.

Both sides held their own opinions and parted unhappily.

After Zhang Shao left, Yan Gaoqing still felt that something was wrong. No matter what, it was his responsibility for not explaining the matter to Li Huaiguang immediately last night.

So he hurried to the Council Hall and asked for the opinion of the right prime minister Yan Zhenqing.

"Has the Control Crane Army not left Xiwei Bridge yet?"

Yan Zhenqing asked with a slight frown.

"Indeed, they are still there. They chopped wood and cooked for themselves last night, so they are not hungry. It's not like the Konghe Army didn't bring baggage with them. They have food and fodder."

Yan Gaoqing had a say on this issue because he had always been personally in charge of grain and fodder matters.

He had already sent people to verify that the Konghe Army was indeed staying at Xiwei Bridge and there were signs of fire and cooking in the military camp.

It became clear as soon as he heard this. With decades of experience as an official, Yan Zhenqing naturally guessed what those soldiers were up to!

After all, it was because most of the rewards for the expedition were bonds, which made people dissatisfied.

Things like not having dinner are all excuses.

Yan Zhenqing didn't believe that those people just lacked a hot meal.

"The truth is known."

Yan Zhenqing sighed softly.

I thought this matter had been resolved, why are there so many unexpected problems?
"Mr. Yan, I think we should send some silk to appease the soldiers of the Control Crane Army."

Yan Gaoqing suggested.

Unexpectedly, Yan Zhenqing just shook his head.

If they are given this time, then next time the Konghe Army will camp in front of the military department, waiting for the reward!

If other armies see this happening and follow suit, will the Ministry of War be able to handle it?

This wind will not last long!

"There is no reward! The money for the expedition has already been given, and I have even signed a blood contract! Is Li Huaiguang going to go back on his word?"

Yan Zhenqing was also angry!
This bunch of soldiers are too arrogant and domineering.

If we give in this time, they will be more arrogant next time!

"I will go to the Purple Palace now."

After saying this, Yan Zhenqing headed straight towards the Daming Palace. Yan Gaoqing followed him, and later called the Minister of Revenue Diwu Qi and others. Just in case, he sent an aide to Xuanwu Gate to inform Guo Ziyi that the imperial guards' vacation today was cancelled.

The group arrived at the Zichen Hall. Li Heng had just gotten up and was meditating on a cushion in the hall, practicing Taoist breathing techniques.

That’s right, Li Heng had stayed in a Taoist temple on Mount Huashan for several years and had learned all the basic Taoist knowledge.

Seeing Yan Zhenqing and others coming together, Li Heng stood up, looked at everyone and asked in confusion: "My dear ministers, you can handle government affairs by yourselves. There is no need to drag me to work together, right?"

Li Heng is now a mascot emperor. Whether he is there or not, it will not affect the operation of Chang'an's political and military affairs.

"Your Majesty, the Konghe Army is camped at Xiwei Bridge and is unwilling to attack Luoyang. I guess they want a reward before they are willing to march."

Yan Zhenqing introduced Li Ying in a concise manner.

"How much wealth is left in Taifu Temple?"

Li Ying asked with a sigh.

Yan Zhenqing was speechless because Li Heng was a mascot emperor, so no one took the emperor's own treasury seriously.

What kind of pocket money does a mascot want? You really think you are the real emperor, right?
So the cruel reality is: the property in Taifu Temple is probably only a fraction of what Ji Ge had back then.

And it’s not even the biggest fraction.

Moreover, some of these treasures were difficult to divide. For example, the handicrafts sent as tribute from the Western Regions were valuable, but now there was no market for them in Chang'an, so they could not be sold at all and could only be watched helplessly.

"I remember that there are more than a thousand pieces of cloth in the palace's weaving and dyeing department warehouse. Send them all to the soldiers of the Control Crane Army."

Li Ying waved his hand and said.

He is a person who is afraid of trouble and knows that he cannot handle government affairs, so if you can avoid bothering him, try not to.

It's no use coming.

Seeing that none of the ministers moved, Li Heng instructed Cheng Yuanzhen beside him, "Send a eunuch and find some carts to drag the silk to Xiwei Bridge. Let's leave it at that."

"I'll do it right now."

Cheng Yuanzhen bowed to Li Ying and then left alone without even looking at the Yan brothers and Diwu Qi.

In fact, Yan Zhenqing wanted to persuade Li Ying to issue an imperial decree to order the Control Crane Army to march out. But since Li Ying had already used his own "private money" to settle the matter, he had no choice but to do so.

Although the number is a little small, this is all we can do.

It seemed that the problem was temporarily solved, but at this moment, he had forgotten one very important thing. …

Everything seems normal in the Konghe Army camp at Xiwei Bridge.

In the commander's tent, Li Huaiguang had summoned all the generals and lieutenants who were ranked high to receive his orders.

Zhang Shaozheng was standing beside Li Huaiguang with a gloomy face, as if he had something to say.

"Tell the brothers about your negotiations with the ministers at the imperial court."

Li Huaiguang looked at Zhang Shao and gave orders expressionlessly.

"Minister Yan of the Ministry of War said that we didn't give you any food last night because the court couldn't afford it and Chang'an was short of food. The court couldn't afford the money for the expedition either, and the treasury was empty!

Someone said that we are about to go to the front line to fight, but we are still hungry. How can we risk our lives to protect ourselves from swords and guns when we are hungry?

I heard that the Qionglin and Daying warehouses in the imperial palace were filled with treasures like mountains. The royal family members all wore gold and silver, so why didn't they share some with the soldiers?

Minister Yan said that was all rumors, the treasury was empty, and there was no money anyway. "

Zhang Shao narrated the negotiation process between him and Yan Gaoqing with exaggerated details. Of course, his words were slightly exaggerated, but they were basically true.

Li Huaiguang didn't say anything, but looked at the generals, as if waiting for them to express their opinions.

One of the ten generals looked hesitant and suggested, "We don't have any military achievements at the moment, and we don't have the guts to speak. Why don't we march out now, and after we've dealt with Li Baochen, we'll come back to Chang'an to ask for a reward. If the court dares not give us a reward again, don't blame us brothers for turning against you."

As soon as he said this, several people nodded in agreement.

Obviously, Zhang Shao's words might be very contagious to the grassroots soldiers, and everyone who heard them wanted to hack those court officials to death.

But the officers in the Control Crane Army did not feel much about this.

With military power, are you still worried about not being able to make money? With a knife in hand, how can you not make money?

What they care about is whether they can get promoted and whether they can manage more subordinates.

That little bit of wealth is really not the first priority.

"Mr. Wang, you think it's simple.

Let me ask you, if we defeat Li Baochen and Chang'an no longer has to worry about food shortages, will the court still rely on us?
Have you ever heard the saying that when the cunning rabbit dies, the running dog is cooked? You are loyal to the Tang Dynasty, but can you compare to Marshal Fang? "

Zhang Shao pointed at the general named Wang and asked back.

Upon hearing the three words "Marshal Fang", the general fell silent.

Zhang Shao had no way to respond to this because no one knew how the rewards would be given after the army returned to the capital.

Will it be the same as last time, where they agreed on a certain amount but only paid one third of it in the end? How stingy!

To put it bluntly, even Marshal Fang, who was loyal to the Tang Dynasty, has retired. Who would believe you if you talk about feelings?

No matter how loyal you are, can you be more loyal than Fang Youde? No matter how good you are at fighting, can you be more powerful than Fang Youde?
Who dares to say that there is someone who is older, more capable, and more loyal than Fang Youde? Is there such a person?
It’s impossible to find one. Any shameless soldier would not dare to say that he can compare with Fang Youde.

But everyone saw what happened to Fang Youde. Even he was so angry that he retired. Who would be willing to disregard sacrifice and care about his family and shed the last drop of blood for the Tang Dynasty?

If good people don't get good rewards, who would want to be a good person? In many cases, don't blame people's hearts for being bad. It's the world that gets bad first, and then people's hearts get bad too.

Obviously, Zhang Shao's words made some sense, especially among grassroots officers and soldiers.

"Don't argue, just keep talking."

Li Huaiguang interrupted the quarrel and continued speaking, pointing at Zhang Shao.

"Yan Gaoqing went to look for his cousin, Yan Xianggong, who sent a minor official to sneak out of the Council Hall.

Afterwards, these high-ranking officials went to the Daming Palace together.

I was worried, so I quietly followed the official. Guess what happened, the official actually went to Xuanwu Gate!

What do you think he went to Xuanwu Gate for? What is Xuanwu Gate for? "

Zhang Shao asked loudly.

He just wouldn't say what he did, since he didn't see it anyway.

He saw with his own eyes the minor official in green robe going to Xuanwu Gate, so he spoke with confidence.

At this moment, many people will wonder what Xuanwu Gate is used for.

Well, that was the garrison of the imperial guards, the Western Inner Courtyard to the north of the Xuanwu Gate, where the newly recruited Chang'an imperial guards were stationed.

Zhang Shao had just had an argument with Yan Gaoqing, but as a result, his cousin Yan Zhenqing sent people to Xuanwu Gate. Wasn't it obvious who they were targeting?
Everyone present looked drastically pale.

There have been more than one or two coups d'état in the city of Chang'an. Some of them were even very bloody, with many people dying.

The three words "Xuanwu Gate" themselves are enough to make people nervous.

Now there are only some weaklings in Xuanwu Gate, which are called "Jingjun" and "Xinbing". But if they act unintentionally, what will happen is unimaginable.

"Let's see if the imperial court will send someone to appease us. If someone comes to appease us, it must be a trick."

Li Huaiguang looked around at everyone and said.

At this point, no one dared to mention the fact that the court would not do anything rash, because everyone has only one head, and once it is cut off, it will not grow again.

Who would dare to bet his life and property on the trust of his colleagues in the court?
Unexpectedly, just as Li Huaiguang finished speaking, a personal soldier outside reported: "Madam Li, the court has sent eunuchs to deliver silk to the Konghe Army. There are more than a thousand pieces of silk."

There was excitement in the soldiers' words.

More than one thousand pieces of silk, four people share one piece of cloth, haha, it's like giving alms to beggars.

But it's better than nothing.

Li Huaiguang exchanged glances with Zhang Shao, and when he saw the other nodded slightly, he immediately said to the generals: "You all follow me out to take a look."

When the group left the tent and came to the camp gate, they saw a eunuch in palace clothes holding the imperial edict outside the camp gate. Behind him were more than ten flatbed carts piled with silk.

However, these cloths were all low-quality cloth collected from rent and labor service. The good cloth in the warehouse of the imperial palace's weaving and dyeing department had long been replaced and used to buy grain.

Yan Zhenqing and others knew about these things, but they didn't think about them at that time. Only Li Heng was kept in the dark.

"The emperor showed sympathy to the soldiers of the Control Crane Army and specially took out a thousand pieces of cloth from the inner treasury to reward them."

The eunuch shouted in a shrill voice and casually stuffed the imperial edict in his hand into Li Huaiguang's hand.

"This kind of coarse cloth is not even worn by beggars. You brought it to the camp. Do you look down on the Crane Control Army?"

Zhang Shao went forward to check the cloths on the cart and found that they were all old and inferior cloths. He immediately became furious!
"Tell me, are you planning to murder the generals of the Control Crane Army tonight? Are you deliberately provoking us so that we can go to the palace to argue with the emperor and then catch us all in one fell swoop?"

Zhang Shao grabbed the eunuch by the collar and actually lifted him up.

"I don't know, I don't know!"

The eunuch was so frightened that he peed his pants, and yellow liquid flowed down his pants.

"You still say you don't know, but I think you are an accomplice!"

Zhang Shao threw the eunuch to the ground, drew out his sword, and stabbed the eunuch directly in the chest!

The knife skills were precise, piercing the chest and killing him with one blow!

"Wait a minute!"

Li Huaiguang's shout was still a beat late. By the time he shouted, Zhang Shao had already killed the eunuch who was responsible for conveying the imperial eunuch to the military camp.

Now all the generals of the Control Crane Army around Li Huaiguang were dumbfounded.

They knew that Zhang Shao had bad intentions and had been escalating the situation.

But now that things have come to this, there is no going back.

Even if they kneel in front of the Daming Palace and say that they just slipped and accidentally killed that insignificant eunuch, it will be of no avail.

The people have already been killed. Can the court just push Zhang Shao out now and pretend nothing happened?
Now, under the watchful eyes of the public, dozens of imperial guards responsible for escorting the silk saw the whole scene clearly.

Are these people going to be killed as well?

The generals of the Konghe Army looked at each other, all of them completely at a loss.

"Zhang Shao, take your men to control these imperial guards who are transporting the goods, and the rest of you follow me back to the camp!"

Li Huaiguang gave instructions to the generals with a face as calm as water.

(End of this chapter)