The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 146 Rejecting Yang Zhao
Most people know Zhang Guangsheng for contributing the idiom "If you don't do it, don't give up." But apart from that, Zhang Guangsheng's life is also full of legends.

He was once a righteous man who saved his lord from the chaos without leaving his name. He was also a good general who protected the Tang Dynasty and made military achievements during the Anshi Rebellion, but in the end, he was involved in two rebellions.

He tried to be loyal and righteous his whole life, but it ended in tragedy.

Li Ying recalled the history and couldn't help but take a closer look at Zhang Guangsheng in front of him. He saw that he was less than 20 years old, tall, and had a resolute face.

But his eyes were a little dazed, probably because he had become a deserter and was struggling internally.

"Since you still want to go back and be a soldier, why did you escape with me?" Li Ying asked.

"I wanted to help my elder brother escape, and then go back by myself."

As Zhang Guangsheng spoke, he glanced at the leader whose head was already bleeding on the ground and sighed silently.

Li Ying asked: "Then how are you going to explain this to Dong Yanguang when you go back?"

Zhang Guangsheng said: "Our combat battalion has been organized. My original plan was to go back and report to General Dong that I went out to chase the deserters but failed, so I had to go back by myself."

"That's an explanation, but Dong Yanguang may not believe it." Li Ying thought for a while and said, "How about this, I'll have someone send your dead companion to Dong Yanguang, so that I can give him an explanation. As for you guys..."

Li Heng glanced at the other deserters.

A combat battalion of a thousand people was reduced to only a few dozen people. These people must have a lot of combat experience, and keeping them might be useful.

But he couldn't just say he wanted to keep these people.

And these people are not necessarily reliable.

Li Heng hesitated for a moment and continued, "No matter what the reason, you first deserted the army and then robbed the merchant caravan, breaking the law. All of you should be arrested and brought back to Anxi for trial."

Zhang Guangsheng didn't know how Li Heng was going to deal with them, but since he didn't say he was going to kill them, it meant they still had hope of survival, so Zhang Guangsheng bowed and said, "I will leave it to your Highness to deal with me."

The rest of the deserters echoed this.

After making the decision, Li Heng ordered his men to send the leader and the dead deserters to the local government office, asking the government office to talk to Dong Yanguang.

As He Jin's caravan was travelling the same way as Li Ying's, Li Ying took them along.

……

……

……

At night, Li Ying and his party stayed in an inn.

Zhang Guangsheng was sleeping soundly when his companion suddenly woke him up and said, "Old Four, are you really planning to go to Anxi with Prince Shou?"

"Third brother?" Zhang Guangsheng rubbed his eyes, yawned, and said, "Third brother, His Royal Highness Prince Shou did not kill us on the spot, nor did he send us to General Dong, which means we still have a chance to survive. Since there is a chance to survive, why don't you follow him?"

The third brother said, "Even if the death penalty can be avoided, it is still a crime to be punished alive. I have had enough of being a soldier. Why don't we seize the opportunity and escape?"

"Still running away?" Zhang Guangsheng shook his head. "If I run away once, I will be humiliated for the rest of my life. If I run away again, how can I live in this world with dignity? If you want to leave, go by yourself."

"If I run away, how will you explain to His Royal Highness Prince Shou?" asked the third brother.

Zhang Guangsheng said: "Don't worry about this, Third Brother. I have my own way."

"What can we do?" The third brother looked at Zhang Guangsheng, "Will you take the blame for me?"

Zhang Guangsheng said, "Let's not talk about this for now. I just hope that after escaping, Third Brother will live a good life and not rob or injure anyone again."

The third brother was silent for a while after hearing this, then he sighed and said, "Well, if that's the case, I'll go with you. We brothers share life and death together, and this friendship is worth it."

"Good." Zhang Guangsheng was happy. "I have heard that His Royal Highness Prince Shou is knowledgeable and knows how to appoint the right people. If we can escape this time and have the honor to serve the country again, we will definitely be able to make great achievements."

"You have quite a lot of ambitions." The third brother also laughed, "I don't have such big ambitions as you. I just hope to have a meal to eat. If I can find a wife and start a family, that will be enough for my life."

Zhang Guangsheng asked, "What kind of wife do you want?"

"Can I choose?" "Of course."

"Good temper, able to take care of the family, preferably with bigger breasts..."

As the two talked, the topic went further and further away.

On the other side, Li Siye told Li Ying what had just happened to Zhang Guangsheng.

After hearing this, Li Ying said, "Zhang Guangsheng is young, but he can make others follow him willingly, which shows that he is talented and virtuous."

"That's true." Li Siye agreed with Li Heng and added, "I tested him during the day and he's quite brave."

Li Ying said: "In this case, as long as Zhang Guangsheng has no other thoughts and the others don't cause any trouble, General Li can rest assured and take a rest."

"Yes." Li Siye stepped out.

……

……

……

Li Heng returned to Anxi without any incident along the way.

It was already May when Li Ying's daughter came back. She was already half a year old.

Li Heng held his daughter for a while before handing her to the nurse and said to Yang Yuhuan, "Father has already named the child Li Ling."

When Yang Yuhuan heard this, she immediately understood why Li Heng had not thought of a name for his daughter in advance.

Yang Yuhuan smiled and said, "The saint has personally chosen the name. Soon everyone in the world will know that we have a daughter. Li Ling will be famous at such a young age."

"Yes."

Li Ying sat next to Yang Yuhuan, and the servants tactfully carried Li Ling out.

Li Ying continued: "I haven't been with you these past few months..."

"My dear husband has always been here." Yang Yuhuan interrupted Li Heng and placed her hand on his chest, saying, "My dear husband said that this is the ninety-ninth flower he gave me. He has always been by my side, right?"

Li Ying grabbed Yang Yuhuan's hand and said with a smile, "That's true."

"By the way, there is something I need to explain to my husband." Yang Yuhuan changed the subject.

"What's the matter?" Li Ying asked.

Yang Yuhuan said, "I have a cousin named Yang Zhao, who was previously the lieutenant of Xindu County in Shuzhou. After his term of office was over, he failed the assessment and has been unemployed ever since. Just after you left a few years ago, he sent me a letter asking you to find him a position."

Yang Zhao is Yang Guozhong.

The name Guozhong was given to him by Li Longji in the ninth year of Tianbao.

Li Ying asked: "And then?"

Yang Yuhuan said: "I politely declined his offer and only asked someone to give him some money."

Li Heng asked: "Why is this?"

Yang Yuhuan said: "He is addicted to alcohol and gambling, and his talent and strategy are not outstanding. My uncle did not use him in Shuzhou."

Yang Xuanlu was considered a fair person and did not help Yang Guozhong much in history, but Yang Yuhuan did make a great contribution to Yang Guozhong's ascension to power.

Now, Yang Yuhuan actually took the initiative to reject Yang Guozhong.

Li Heng agreed with Yang Yuhuan's handling of the matter and asked with a smile, "He is your cousin after all. Don't you want your family to become more powerful?"

"My uncle was able to become a governor because of you." Yang Yuhuan said seriously, "You employ people based on their talents. If they are really talented, you will naturally employ them. If they are not talented, I will cause trouble and only make you more tired. The reason why I told you this is to tell you that you don't have to be extra tolerant of my family members just because of your relationship with me."

(End of this chapter)