Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 632: There are exceptions to everything
On the walls of Yecheng, the fierce battle continues.

With his retreat blocked, Shi Siming chose to abandon his horse and fight to the death on the city wall, which in a sense was a desperate attempt to survive.

Because the wall was too narrow to accommodate too many soldiers fighting at the same time, and one side was a parapet, and beyond that was the outside of the city, so it was impossible to stand on that side.

Besides, the city wall was several meters high and jumping down would mean a risk of death, but it was better than being trapped in a crowd and having a chance of death.

If he didn't climb up the city wall, he would be beaten to death by Li Guiren's elite soldiers who had ambushed him in advance.

I have to say, this choice is very wise.

It can even be said to be the only way out.

"Kill! Don't let Shi Siming escape!"

Liu Longxian, who was supervising the battle, shouted while holding a bow and arrow.

Then he loosened his right hand, and the bow and arrow flew as fast as lightning, heading straight for Shi Siming who was giving orders on the city wall.

Liu Longxian was a famous "strong man" in Li Guiren's army, and he used the strongest bow. His arrow was powerful and hit Shi Siming's shoulder directly.

The emperor of the "Great Yan Kingdom" could not help but take a few steps back. Unexpectedly, as he took such a step back, he accidentally fell down from the gap in the parapet behind him!
Not only did the personal soldiers around Shi Siming stare in amazement at this scene, but even Liu Longxian, who had just launched a sneak attack, had a look of surprise on his face.

Why is there a gap in the parapet on the city wall?
No one knows, but it is very likely that when Huangfu Weiming sent troops to besiege Yecheng, Li Guiren, who was in charge of the siege, ordered his men to use catapults to smash it out.

In addition, there are many small flaws in the walls of Yecheng, which were caused by the offensive and defensive battles during that period. There are more than one similar gaps.

Because Li Guiren was not sure about his future, and had no plans to stay in Yecheng.

He was a man who was ready to run away at any time, so he had no intention of repairing the city at all.

He didn't repair any of the gaps in the city wall, so they looked like the bad teeth of a child who loved candy and had them gnawed away by worms.

"Shi Siming is dead! Shi Siming is dead!"

Liu Longxian shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice as loud as a bell.

His voice seemed to stop time. At this moment, the soldiers who were fighting seemed to pause for a moment.

It is not known whether Shi Siming was dead or not, but many people saw him fall under the city wall.

It's both sides.

Liu Xianlong's shout caused the morale of Shi Siming's elite soldiers to drop visibly! Many people fled in panic, running around on the city wall, and were finally killed by Li Guiren's trusted troops.

The troops under Shi Siming, which had been able to resist, suddenly scattered like birds and beasts and were completely defeated.

The Yan army that was supporting them outside the city also hurriedly retreated to Yaocheng because of the disastrous defeat in the battle inside the city.

The next day, the Yan army in Yaocheng also urgently returned to Mingzhou City in the north. After hearing the news of the disastrous defeat, the Yan army in Tangyin City, south of Yecheng, surrendered to Li Baochen and headed for Hanoi.

A war that could change the world ended in such an absurd and hasty outcome.

The Yan army, which seemed powerful and seemed to be a gathering of elite soldiers and generals, suffered a disastrous defeat due to the recklessness and recklessness of Emperor Shi Siming.

This allowed the world to see the weakness of the person who ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor without permission.

They seem powerful, but in fact they are divided and fragile.

However, Li Guiren later sent people to search around and inside Yecheng, but they could not find Shi Siming's body, let alone a living person. It was only much later that he learned that Shi Siming did not die after falling off the city wall, but only broke a leg and was rescued by the Yan army outside the city.

……

"Hahahahahahaha! I don't know if that bastard Shi Siming is dead or not. Even if he isn't, he'll be in big trouble!"

In the study of the Yecheng government office, Li Guiren laughed so hard that tears were about to come out, and he pounded the table while laughing.

"General Li, now is not the time to relax, it is time to attack Weizhou, Bozhou, and Beizhou!

We have already fallen out with Shi Siming and sent people directly to Bianzhou and Chang'an to ask Fang Qing and Li Baochen for titles respectively!

How about making the general the Jiedushi of Wei Bo?"

Liu Longxian asked in a low voice.

This opened up Li Guiren's mind.

Yes, Shi Siming's failure this time was not just a simple loss of several thousand soldiers. Shi Siming was not only shot by an arrow, but also fell down from the city. If he died, the Great Yan Kingdom would immediately fall apart.

In this case, who would bother to cause trouble for Li Guiren?
If Shi Siming had not died, not only would he have to recuperate after returning, but he would also have to face the opposition under his command who were ready to make moves, and he would definitely have to spend time to reorganize the internal situation.

We should take this opportunity to expand our territory.

Of course, expanding territory requires righteousness, so Li Guiren needs to "ask for a title" from Li Baochen or Fang Qing. Fighting for territory and asking for a title complement each other, and there is no order of precedence.

"That's great. This time it's all thanks to your plan."

Li Guiren said with emotion.

When Liu Longxian heard this, he immediately clasped his fists and said, "The general and I are friends of life and death, friends who have survived death together. If I abandon the general and join that bastard Shi Siming, how will the world view me?"

"Dragon Immortal!"

Li Guiren was so moved that he almost cried. It is true that a friend in need is a friend indeed.

In Shi Siming's imagination, Liu Longxian must have had rebellious intentions for a long time, and if he just waved his hand, this traitor would betray Li Guiren.

This is actually very much in tune with the times.

Ever since Huangfu Weiming started the uprising in Youzhou, people’s hearts have changed and whoever feeds them is their mother.

Especially these soldiers.

However, there are exceptions to everything. Good and bad are determined by comparison, and we cannot use a fixed framework to fit everyone's thinking.

Although Li Guiren was weak now, Liu Longxian got along well with him during their battles. To be honest, Li Guiren was also a good fighter, but his luck was a little bad.

Liu Longxian didn't regard Li Guiren as his father, nor did he want to take a bullet for him.

But even if you want to seek refuge, you have to choose the right one, right?
In Liu Longxian's opinion, people like Shi Siming are so shameless.

He was born a Hu, proclaimed himself emperor, was notorious, and his military strength did not have an overwhelming advantage over Li Baochen. What made him worthy of Liu Longxian's allegiance?
Li Guiren looked down on Shi Siming, and Liu Longxian also looked down on him!

So the two of them set up a trap and pretended to surrender. What they were betting on was that Shi Siming would lead the troops himself.

However, to say that they are full of wisdom and strategies is to overestimate Li Guiren and Liu Longxian.

The reason why these two people dared to gamble was that if they won, they would make a huge profit, and if they lost, they would just run away without thinking about the consequences at all.

It is difficult to escape from Yecheng with a large army, but it is easy to leave alone in disguise.

It's nothing more than a gambler's last-ditch effort when he's about to leave the casino.

Unexpectedly, such a crazy bet was won! Shi Siming really came, and he really believed it!

Li Guiren felt it was incredible.

"General Li, tell me, who will have the last laugh in this world?"

Liu Longxian suddenly asked a question that was difficult for Li Guiren to answer. Although they won this round, they could not say that they had won the future.

Because the situation of division of the country is slowly but surely forming, there is no sign of the return of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. In other words, the glorious days of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, when one person could command the support of hundreds of people, can never be returned.

If we want to look forward, we have to think about who will be the winner in the future, right?
“It’s hard to say!”

Li Guiren sighed. He had no intention of becoming an emperor. In fact, he was quite confused about his future.

He thought that he could lead his troops to capture several states in Hebei, then find a strong man to hold on to, become a Jiedushi who controlled several states, and let his son become a Jiedushi as well, and pass it down from generation to generation.

People like Shi Siming will not go far, let alone have a good ending.

"Can Li Baochen from Guanzhong be considered a hero?"

Liu Longxian asked.

"That guy just got lucky. His ability is no more than that of a provincial governor."

Li Guiren sneered.

He despised Li Baochen and thought that he was just lucky. In terms of real ability, Li Baochen had nothing left except his skills in battle.

Of course, it is undeniable that Li Baochen is not like some soldiers who kill people at every turn, and his temperament is relatively peaceful. This may be the reason why there are always people willing to follow him.

But this kind of mediocre character will not accomplish anything great in troubled times.

"Can Li Yu of Xiangyang be considered a hero?"

Liu Longxian asked again.

“The South has neither strong soldiers nor good generals, so it is difficult to keep the territory.

Besides, the words of the vassal kings are no longer so effective. Even if a truly talented person surrenders to the emperor, he will be treated as a puppet in the future. Shi Siming had several members of the Li clan under his command, but he chose not to use them. This is the way to his death. There are so many people like Shi Siming in the world."

Li Guiren complained about Shi Siming.

If Shi Siming had made a prince the emperor and followed Li Baochen's example, the situation would never be as passive as it is now.

I did it all by myself.

"Bianzhou Fang Qing, how is it?"

Liu Longxian asked again.

This time Li Guiren remained silent.

If everyone can see that someone is very good, then this person is not the best.

Only when you feel that this person is unclear and you are afraid of him, it means that this person is very powerful, and his methods and intelligence are far superior to yours!

Li Guiren had this feeling.

“When I heard that Bianzhou was going to hold an imperial examination, although Liu was dismissive of it, this tactic was able to win over many people.

Fang Qing is a man that should not be underestimated."

Liu Longxian said solemnly, as if he was still frightened. Recently, news came from Bianzhou that they were going to hold an imperial examination, which was really shocking.

Since Huangfu Weiming started his uprising in Youzhou, there has been no imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty. If Huangfu Weiming was capable, why didn't he start an imperial examination himself?

It can’t be opened, there is no way to open it, it’s inconvenient and there is no need.

In short, various reasons can explain why Huangfu Weiming could not use this trick.

But now someone in Bianzhou is going to use this trick.

At the very least, he is definitely more powerful than Huangfu Weiming.

Liu Longxian holds such a paranoid view. This is a very simple comparison method, but it is impeccable.

"It seems that Fang Qing thinks he can have the last laugh."

Li Guiren couldn't help but sigh.

He suddenly felt that Li Baochen was the one who should open the imperial examination?
How come it was Fang Qing's turn to use this trick?

Even though he had occupied Chang'an, he didn't hold the imperial examination to win over the people's hearts. Does this mean that Li Baochen was actually a loser?
Li Guiren suddenly felt that Fang Chongyong was a very scary person, because without comparison, there would be no identification.

"How about this, you go to Bianzhou and talk to Fang Qing in person. Ask him to give me a Jiedushi number."

Li Guiren still felt that Fang Chongyong was much more reliable than Li Baochen.

……

Chenliu County, the emperor's palace.

Emperor Li Lin, dressed in casual clothes, held a memorial in his hand, and was confused by it.

I just feel dizzy.

"Fang Qing is going to hold an imperial examination?"

Li Lin suddenly put down the memorial in his hand and asked Gao Shang beside him with a look of surprise.

He was a little confused. The regime was in its infancy and was barely able to control Henan, and it had just experienced a large-scale rebellion.

What's the point of fussing?
"Is Fang Qing very free recently?"

Li Lin asked again.

Gao Shang sighed deeply. If possible, he really wanted to beat Li Lin to death.

As far as he knew, Fang Chongyong was not only very busy recently, but he was even so busy that his toes were smoking!

That person is taking control of power step by step in a hurry!
Gao Shang shouted silently in his heart.

"Your Majesty, I can only say that, at least in Bianzhou, Fang Qing is quite popular, and almost everyone responds to his call.

I am not capable of doing such a thing as covering one's ears and stealing a bell."

Gao Shang replied helplessly.

"Is there such a thing?"

Li Lin was shocked and quickly sat up straight.

"Your Majesty, I don't want to say it, but it is true."

Gao Shang nodded slightly.

It is inevitable that Fang Qing is popular in Bianzhou. Those who are disobedient are now being "reformed through labor" in Shanyuan Villa!

Gao Shang was too lazy to complain about Li Lin.

"Then tell me, what does this memorial mean? Why is the imperial examination being held for no reason?"

Li Lin humbly asked for advice.

Fang Chongyong's memorial regarding the imperial examination was not simple. It was not to hold an imperial examination directly according to the original rules, but to make drastic changes to the system.

Article 1: Candidates are not allowed to submit their papers, otherwise they will be convicted of bribing the examiner. The examiner's relatives within five generations of mourning and students are not allowed to participate in this imperial examination.

Article 2: The examination papers should be marked with names. Before the examiner marks the papers, please have someone transcribe them and give the copies to the examiner for review. The original copies should be sealed and no one is allowed to open them.

Of course, there are many details, and Fang Chongyong would not write them in the memorial.

Article 3: Strengthen inspections at examination rooms, examination patrols, and candidate identity verification.

Article 4: An “interview” session is added, and the interview will be conducted personally by the Right Prime Minister.

And no matter what subject, those who were admitted were called "Jinshi", and there was no longer a special "Jinshi category".

That’s basically all the changes, but we cannot rule out the possibility that Fang Chongyong will make more “outrageous moves”.

Li Lin had no idea what these things meant, so he had to ask Gao Shang for advice. Because before being castrated, Gao Shang was a scholar who had participated in the imperial examination (although he failed).

"If the imperial examination continues like this... in ten years, all the civil and military officials in the court will be Fang Qing's men."

Gao Shang lamented.

Those who can take the imperial examination and pass it based on their own abilities are not stupid people; they are all social elites.

These people are not fools, nor are they blindly loyal. They know very well who has the final say and who makes the policies.

Those "favors of recognition" belonged to Fang Qing, not Li Lin. Because Li Lin did not participate in the formulation, implementation, and correction of the new imperial examination system, nor could he control or influence the selection of examiners, let alone specify who passed and who did not!
You can't do anything, so why should others be grateful to you? Just because you are the emperor in name only?

Li Lin might think so, and feel that there must be someone among these people who is "loyal to the emperor and patriotic."

But only a noble person would not be so naive.

"How could Fang Qing gain such a large network of contacts from just a simple imperial examination?"

Li Lin was shocked and couldn't believe it was true.

So, guess why you had to submit your papers to take the imperial examination? It was because I didn’t have money to curry favor with the rich and powerful that I couldn’t pass the exam!
Gao Shang cursed in his heart.

He was a little tempted. If he hadn't been castrated, he couldn't be an official anymore.

He is now clinging to Fang Qing's thighs!

This move was really ruthless. It took away all the connections that the powerful and wealthy had previously gained by collecting "test papers".

Fang Qingdian's Jinshi must be grateful to Fang Qing, so how could he be loyal to Li Lin?
"No, I want to stop the imperial examination!"

Li Lin slammed the table with a ferocious look on his face.

Gao Shang saw that Li Lin was excited, and he also knew that this not-so-bright emperor had finally figured out Fang Qing's tactics, so he became furious.

What were you doing earlier?

"Your Majesty, the Kaifeng government office has already posted notices about the imperial examination everywhere. You suddenly said that you don't want to hold the imperial examination, and I don't know whether Fang Qing will agree.

Even if he agreed, those who were preparing to take the imperial examination would not agree!

By then, I’m afraid those people won’t vent their anger on Fang Qing, but will complain to Your Majesty instead.”

Gao Shang advised earnestly that it was too late to say anything now.

(End of this chapter)