After Li Xuan completed the ideological work on his subordinates, he returned to the Grand Protectorate.

"Grandpa..."

Li Zhenzhen trotted over and jumped onto Li Xuan.

She has been waiting for Grandpa for a long time.

After getting to know each other, she became very close to her grandfather.

Li saw Li Zhenzhen and smiled knowingly.

No matter how good Qiuci is, it is not as good as Chang'an.

But his offspring are no hothouse flowers.

In addition to hiring famous teachers for his children, Li Xuan would personally teach them when they grew up a little more, in order to instill deep-rooted ideas in them.

There are many things that cannot be accomplished by one person or one generation.

It requires his descendants to work tirelessly and inherit his will together.

"Are you hungry, my dear? I will prepare a meal for you."

Changli took Zhuge Liang's sword from Li Xuan and asked Li Xuan.

"No, I'll be the chef today!"

Li Xuan pinched Li Zhenzhen's face and said this sentence inexplicably.

A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen, but this does not apply to Li Xuan.

He cooked for himself more than once and asked Gongshu Qingzi to make an iron pan suitable for cooking.

Pei Lingxi, Jiang Yueyao, Changli and Shuang'er were all very happy to be able to eat Li Xuan's food.

From ancient times to the present, no man can be like Li Xuan.

"Zhenzhen likes grandpa's cooking the most."

Li Zhenzhen's saliva started to flow when she thought about her grandfather's cooking skills.

"Eat more later, Zhenzhen."

Li Xuan handed Li Zhenzhen to Shuang'er.

Then he changed his clothes and went into the kitchen, with his wives helping him. Half an hour later, Li Xuan used simple seasonings to stir-fry and cook six dishes and a soup.

Due to seasonal reasons, most of the dishes are meat.

After the vegetables are ripe, Li Xuan can cook more dishes.

Seeing his wife and children eating with gusto, Li Xuan smiled and said, "Maybe I will be called a gourmet in the future."

He knew that stir-frying would soon become a Chinese tradition.

Through the imagination and creation of chefs in later generations, various famous dishes emerged.

"Husband, what is a gourmet?"

Pei Lingxi asked Li Xuan.

“It’s the people who can create dishes.”

Li Xuan replied.

"Then my husband must be! My husband is a genius and knows everything."

Pei Lingxi smiled sweetly, her eyes revealing deep love.

They are also learning how to cook from their husbands, but they have no such concept and their skills are not mature.

It won't be long before your husband won't have to do it himself.

The family was having a great time. Li Xuan picked food for Li Zhenzhen and Li Song without favoring one over the other.

"Grandpa is a great hero. Seeing so many strong men and strong men drinking because of him, I want to be like him in the future."

After eating, Li Song wiped his lips and looked at Li Xuan with admiration.

Today, Pei Lingxi and Jiang Yueyao brought him and Li Zhenzhen to the city of Qiuci.

The most eye-catching person among the crowd was his father.

The first time he saw his father commanding thousands of troops, his young mind was greatly shocked.

He only knew before that people respected their fathers, but now he finally understood why people respected their fathers!

"Song'er has great potential!"

Li Xuan laughed.

Afterwards, Li Xuan ordered the maid to take Li Zhenzhen and Li Song downstairs to wash and rest.

"Lingxi, Yueyao, Shuang'er, Changli. Have there been any rumors about me circulating in Qiuci City recently?"

At dusk, Li Xuan called the four girls to the attic and suddenly asked them.

"There are no rumors about my husband in Qiuci City, but..."

Pei Lingxi just wanted to deny it, but when he thought of Li Yi who was held hostage in Chang'an, he stopped talking.

Jiang Yueyao, Changli and other girls also looked at each other.

They knew some rumors but were reluctant to bring them up.

"Just rumor that I have rebellious intentions?"

Li Xuan put his hand on Pei Lingxi's shoulder and stroked her hair.

"Husband, we believe that you are loyal to the king and the country."

Pei Lingxi was anxious, she always believed in Li Xuan.

The three girls also looked at Li Xuan with sincere eyes.

They knew nothing about military affairs or politics, they only knew that their husbands were extraordinary geniuses and must have their own plans.

"I am a descendant of Emperor Taizong. I am only loyal to the country and the nation. The descendants of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Tian are no longer suitable to be role models for the world. I am more suitable to be the ruler of the people."

Li Xuan no longer hides the truth from his wife.

The uprising is imminent, it's time to let them know.

Unlike when he was talking to his generals and subordinates, he told his wife directly that he was a small clan member representing a big clan.

Those who have legal principles are the majority.

Although he was a descendant of Li Chengqian, after Li Zhi ascended the throne, Li Zhi's descendants became the majority.

Li Dan succeeded to the throne, and Li Dan's descendants became the major clan, while Li Zhi's other sons would become minor clans.

The same was true when Li Longji succeeded to the throne.

Because they are all emperors recognized by the orthodoxy.

Pei Lingxi, Jiang Yueyao and the other two girls' eyes widened.

They had never thought that their husbands had such ambitions, and after being married for several years, their husbands had never expressed them.

But since their husband said it himself, they were shocked and had no choice but to accept it.

Logically speaking, they should be happy that their husbands want to "dominate the world".

If Li Xuan ascends the throne, Pei Lingxi will be the mother of the country and become the queen.

Changli, Jiang Yueyao and Shuang'er also had to become concubines.

Although a concubine is the emperor's concubine, there is a world of difference between a concubine and a concubine.

Yang Yuhuan, imperial concubine, was also a concubine.

But Pei Lingxi's four daughters truly love Li Xuan, especially Changli and Shuang'er, who are helpless and regard Li Xuan as their everything. They subconsciously think that the risk of rebellion is too great.

Since Qin Shi Huang unified the world, there has never been a case of a small clan replacing a large clan successfully.

Li Xuan is not a descendant of Li Dan, they are too far away.

They knew that their husbands were extremely brave, but the first thing they would face would be the dissatisfaction of the world's great families and officials.

By then, their husbands will still be in danger.

"My dear husband, I support you. Tomorrow I will sacrifice myself to sew cotton clothes for the soldiers."

Tears welled up in Pei Lingxi's eyes. She showed strength and determination, holding Li Xuan's hand and said.

It turns out the rumors were true.

What Li Xuan did was even more terrifying than the rumors.

In extraordinary times, they can only do their best.

Pei Lingxi knew that once her husband opened his heart to them, there would be no turning back.

Treason is a serious crime punishable by the extermination of three generations of the clan.

They are willing to accompany their husbands, even if their entire family is executed, they will have no regrets.

"My dear, I can also sew cotton clothes. There are many women in my family, I can teach them together."

Shuang'er also spoke.

Li Longji rewarded Li Xuan with many beauties in the Anxi Protectorate.

For generals who had no wives, Li Xuan asked Pei Lingxi to act as a matchmaker for them.

Give these singing girls in the music school a home.

The general was far away in the Western Regions, and he was lucky to marry such a beautiful and talented Han beauty.

They don't care whether they are of low status or not. In Li Xuan's territory, they can escape from low status with just one word.

A general who marries a wife will work harder to serve Li Xuan.

"Husband, we can also learn."

Changli and Jiang Yueyao also expressed this.

They had the same idea as Pei Lingxi: their husbands were preparing to rebel, and there was only one way to go.

They will never leave each other, even in death, they will be together.

"Lingxi, Yi'er will be safe. You and Yueyao's father will not be in danger either."

After Pei Lingxi and other girls expressed their support for him, Li Xuan saw her worry in Pei Lingxi's eyes.

He held Pei Lingxi in his arms to reassure her.

At this time, the women of the Grand Protectorate sewed cotton clothes for the soldiers, which really warmed up the morale of the soldiers.

"Husband..."

Pei Lingxi shed more tears.

……

Time slips away like sand through your fingertips.

June, the fourteenth year of Tianbao.

An anxious Li Longji once again summoned An Lushan to attend An Qingzong's wedding.

He personally arranged the marriage and paired her with Princess Rongyi. How glorious it was!

As An Lushan's eldest son, it was reasonable for An Lushan to return to Chang'an to attend the wedding.

When Pei Shiyan came back before, Li Longji asked Pei Shiyan about An Lushan's physical condition, and the answer he got was that An Lushan was "like a normal person."

Li Longji would rather believe that An Lushan had just recovered from a serious illness than believe what Pei Shiyan said, "He lacks the etiquette of a human subject."

This old emperor who had held power in the empire for nearly fifty years was, like his country, on the decline.

He placed the greatest trust in An Lushan, hoping that An Lushan would not rebel.

After the envoy left Chang'an, Li Longji changed his usual practice and asked Gao Lishi every day whether the envoy had returned.

He looks older than before, with his hair full of silver.

Gao Lishi was worried. He stood on the city wall of Tonghua Gate, looking at the messenger who might return from Longshouyuan.

Not long after, the messenger finally returned.

Gao Lishi, who was the first to get the news, was heartbroken.

He told Li Longji the news with trepidation.

An Lushan again claimed illness and refused to return to Chang'an to attend his son's wedding.

That day, Li Longji sat dejectedly in the Yuelong Palace.

An Lushan's rebellious intentions were almost obvious.

But at this time, Li Longji still believed that An Lushan was just losing his temper and held out a glimmer of hope.

He thought of his naive Lushan and An Lushan's usual statements, and he didn't look like a traitor at all.

Yang Yuhuan finally realized the seriousness of the matter. She couldn't believe that An Lushan would be a rebellious traitor.

When An Lushan performed the Hu Xuan dance, it was as funny as it could be.

When he makes enemies with people, he often curses and swears at them, but he seems to be harmless.

Whenever he had some small achievement, he would ask for reward like a saint; when he got some good things in Fan Yang, he could not wait to send them to Chang'an. Li Longji said that An Lushan was a pure barbarian.

This is not an insult, but rather a feeling that An Lushan is upright and not a man with evil ambitions.

Compared with An Lushan, Yang Yuhuan is much younger.

Yang Yuhuan reminded Li Longji that there was still Li Qilang. Even if the worst outcome occurred, the Tang Dynasty still had Li Qilang as the Great Wall to rely on.

In this way, Li Longji felt a little relieved.

In this way, Emperor An Qingzong continued to marry Princess Rongyi.

But the wedding was very deserted. Even though a saint had granted the marriage, almost no one showed up.

Princess Rongyi is destined to tragedy.

But An Qingzong was also extremely pitiful. Although he held a high position, he had no idea that his father was planning a rebellion.

From the very beginning, he was a victim of An Lushan's efforts to gain the saint's trust.

An Lushan favored his second son, An Qingxu, more.

Yang Guozhong and An Lushan had been in conflict for a long time. After An Lushan again refused to enter Chang'an, Yang Guozhong secretly sent people to surround An Lushan's mansion.

All of An Lushan's followers were arrested and raided by the Censorate for interrogation, but these followers were unaware of the details of An Lushan's rebellion.

Yang Guozhong, enraged, executed all of An Lushan's followers and put An Qingzong under surveillance, meaning that An Qingzong would never have a chance to escape from Chang'an again.

Otherwise, before An Lushan rebelled, he could have left Chang'an for a walk on the pretext of going for an outing and then escaped.

Even if An Lushan did not love his son, he would still notify him before launching the rebellion.

An Lushan's real spy was not his retainers in his mansion, but Liu Luogu, a wealthy businessman lurking in Chang'an.

He immediately sent someone to convey the message that his mansion had been massacred by Yang Guozhong and Dalang was also under the custody of the imperial guards.

An Lushan was very angry.

But July is not the best time to send troops.

Following the advice of his military advisor Gao Shang, he wrote a memorial to the emperor, offering three thousand northern horses, with two grooms for each horse, and had them escorted to Chang'an by more than twenty Hu generals and soldiers, requesting that the counties and passes along the way allow them to pass.

This combination is three thousand elite cavalry and three thousand strong soldiers.

Although this is not enough to capture Chang'an.

But it is definitely possible to easily break through Luoyang and even Tongguan.

This kind of surprise attack will inevitably lead to the collapse of the Tang Dynasty.

As long as Li Longji agreed to the request, they would use 6,000 disguised elite soldiers as the vanguard, and the main force would follow, thus achieving twice the result with half the effort.

Border troops!

This immediately touched Li Longji's most sensitive nerve.

Li Longji rarely summoned Yang Guozhong and a group of ministers to the Qinzhengwu Building to think about countermeasures.

The horse donation incident wiped out the last bit of hope in his heart.

An Lushan made him lose face and the dignity of an emperor, and he wished he could cut An Lushan into pieces.

If An Lushan rebelled, it would be the biggest stain on his reign.

Even though he believed that with Li Xuan and the border generals around, An Lushan could not shake the foundation of the Tang Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, if it is a gift of horses, the counties along the way can receive and escort them. Why do we need two grooms for one horse? An Lushan used the gift of horses as an excuse. These are 6,000 elite border troops. They must be the vanguard of An Lushan's rebellion. They want to take Chang'an."

Yang Guozhong broke out in a cold sweat and analyzed to Li Longji.

"Do I need you to tell me? It's all because you ministers are narrow-minded that you pissed off that Hu Er."

Li Longji yelled at Yang Guozhong. Instead of reflecting on his own mistakes, he blamed Yang Guozhong and other ministers.

Where did An Lushan's ambition come from?

Who condoned An Lushan?
Yang Guozhong shrank his head when he saw Li Longji getting angry.

The other ministers were also silent.

As early as the late Kaiyuan period, An Lushan was sentenced to death for underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly.

Zhang Jiuling tried hard to execute An Lushan as a warning to others.

But at that time, Li Longji had a bad relationship with Zhang Jiuling. Moreover, Li Longji believed An Lushan's sweet talk and immediately pardoned An Lushan, allowing him to atone for his crime with his merits.

In desperation, Zhang Jiuling could only say that An Lushan "had a rebellious look" and would rebel in the future.

He also said to another prime minister, Pei Guangting, "The one causing chaos in Youzhou must be this Hu," and asked Pei Guangting to help persuade him.

In the end, Li Longji turned around and ridiculed Zhang Jiuling for judging people by their appearance and making rash judgments about their loyalty and integrity.

Whether Zhang Jiuling wanted to use the excuse of enforcing national law to execute An Lushan, or it was a trick to reveal the truth.

Now a prophecy.

An Lushan had become a threat to Li Longji. At this point, Li Longji regretted not listening to Zhang Jiuling.

No minister dared to rub salt into Li Longji's wounds. After all, Li Longji himself said, "I will protect myself, you don't have to worry."

"Right Prime Minister, what do you think we should do?"

When Li Longji saw all the ministers bowing their heads, he named Yang Guozhong.

"We must reject An Lushan's request for horses. An Lushan is like a tiger in the jungle in Fanyang. He replaced the Han generals with Hu generals, proving that he has full control over the army. We should find a way to get An Lushan back to Chang'an and conduct a thorough investigation."

Yang Guozhong knew that Li Longji would not admit his mistakes for the sake of his self-esteem.

He was also afraid of An Lushan's rebellion.

Because the troops of the three towns were all in An Lushan's hands, Hebei and Henan were defenseless, posing a huge threat to the imperial court.

Yang Guozhong knew that the Southern Yam Forbidden Army had become useless, while the elite Northern Yam Forbidden Army could still fight thirty years ago.

Now the Northern Yamen Forbidden Army, which is passed down from father to son and gilded by aristocratic children, can only suppress bandits and robbers at best.

Although Chen Xuanli has been selecting elite troops from the border troops to serve as the leader of the Beiya Imperial Guard.

But after a small number of border troops entered the Northern Yamen, they were like a small stone thrown into a lake, unable to create any waves.

"Any good ideas?"

Li Longji asked Yang Guozhong again.

"The saint can send an envoy and personally write a letter to appease him, summoning him to the Huaqing Palace in October to warm the soup."

Yang Guozhong thought about it and came up with this idea.

If the eldest son didn’t come to his wedding, would Wen Tang come?
"That's all!"

Li Longji had no good solution and could only try to coax her.

After Yang Guozhong and other ministers left, Li Longji ordered the eunuch Fu Qiulin to be beaten to death with sticks.

The last time Fu Qiulin went on a diplomatic mission to visit An Lushan, he returned and reported to him that An Lushan was loyal, and he thought Fu Qiulin had deceived him.

This move shows that Li Longji subconsciously believed that An Lushan was going to rebel, but deep down he was full of contradictions and chose to deceive himself.

After Fu Qiulin's death, Li Longji sent his more trusted eunuch Feng Shenwei to Fan Yang. In addition to some rare treasures from the Arabs and Persians shipped from Anxi Qiuci, he also brought an imperial edict written by Li Longji himself.

In August, Feng Shenwei came to Fan Yang with gold, silver and jewelry.

It is true that he is Li Longji's confidant, but he is afraid that An Lushan will suddenly rebel and use him as a sacrifice, so he is submissive.

Feng Shenwei followed An Lushan's personal guards into the Fanyang Jiedushi's office, where An Lushan sat majestically in the first seat.

According to etiquette, An Lushan should stand up and salute to greet him, but An Lushan just sat there calmly, not prepared to accept the order.

Seeing that there were armored guards holding swords on both sides, Feng Shenwei did not dare to say much. He just intermittently announced that the saint trusted An Lushan and cared about An Lushan's health.

And show the rare treasures given as rewards.

Feng Shenwei also told An Lushan that the court had plenty of good horses and there was no need to offer more horses.

Finally, Feng Shenwei handed Li Longji's handwritten letter to An Lushan.

"I will make you a soup and wait for you in Huaqing Palace for ten months."

He personally ordered a hot spring to be dug for An Lushan in Huaqing Palace. Li Xuan had never received such treatment. He looked extremely moved and sincere.

But An Lushan had prepared everything.

"It is fine if you don't offer the horse! Go back and report to the sage. I will go to the capital in October."

When An Lushan said this to Feng Shenwei, his expression was proud and his words were full of arrogance.

Although he claimed to be "paying a visit", he was prepared to lead thousands of troops to pay a visit.

After the falling out, he no longer expected to be offered a horse.

After the decree was announced, Feng Shenwei was temporarily detained by An Lushan.

A few days later, Feng Shenwei was released by An Lushan.

Feng Shenwei was so frightened that he had hardly any sleep.

After returning to Chang'an without stopping, Feng Shenwei knelt before Li Longji and cried, "I almost didn't get to see the saint."

However, when Li Longji heard that An Lushan would arrive in Chang'an in October, he felt a little relieved.

All the civil and military officials in the court knew that An Lushan was going to rebel, but they did not expect it to happen this year.

After all, rebellion is a big deal and needs to be prepared in advance.

Little did they know that An Lushan had been preparing for many years.

Now we have reached the final stage.

Starting from August, An Lushan increased the military pay of the army several times.

He also rewarded the Fanyang and Pinglu armies with wine and meat every now and then to boost morale.

An Lushan mobilized some remote troops to Fan Yang under the pretext of exercises.

At the same time, An Lushan arranged Gao Shang and Ashina Chengqing to contact the Xi, Khitan, Mohe, Shiwei, Tongluo and other tribes for help.

They were promised benefits, silk, livestock, food, and even Han women, whatever they wanted.

Therefore, in addition to Yeluohe, An Lushan also recruited more than 70,000 Hu cavalry.

The Jiedushi of Fanyang commanded the Jinglüe Army, Jingsai Army, Weiwu Army, Qingyi Army, Henghai Army, Gaoyang Army, Tangxing Army, Hengyang Army, and Beiping Army, and had 91,400 soldiers in command.

The Pinglu Jiedushi commanded the Pinglu Army, the Lulong Army, the Yuguan Shouzhuo, and the Andong Protectorate, and had 37,500 soldiers in charge.

There are inevitably some private soldiers.

This meant that in addition to the Hedong Army, An Lushan could mobilize a total of 210,000 troops.

In October, the month when An Lushan and Li Longji agreed to meet, all these troops arrived.

Outside the city of Fanyang, war horses were everywhere in the mountains and plains, and there was no end in sight for a hundred miles.

With flags fluttering, strong camps, numerous soldiers and armors standing in good order, it was obvious that An Lushan had elite soldiers and generals under his command.

It is worth mentioning that more than half of the people here are Hu people, and the language spoken everywhere is incomprehensible.

An Lushan finally discussed the details of the expedition with his generals and subordinates.

The original plan was to march south in October, but due to too many troops and unbalanced dispatch, it had to be changed to November.

This time, the troops will be dispatched like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, and will quickly defeat the Tang army, leaving them no chance to breathe.

The person An Lushan valued most was Shi Siming, with whom he had grown up.

He ordered Shi Siming to stay behind to guard Fan Yang.

He personally led an army of 180,000 and the Yeluhe cavalry and marched south in early November.

The remaining 20,000 infantry and cavalry were handed over to Shi Siming, who was allowed to recruit soldiers and horses to strengthen his strength.

After he captures the eastern capital Luoyang, you can attack Taiyuan, the capital of the Hedong Jiedushi.

It is really infuriating that An Lushan, the governor of Hedong, could not mobilize a single soldier in Hedong.

When An Lushan first took control of the Hedong Army, he chose to lead the Hedong Army to conquer the Xi and Khitan peoples in order to win over the morale of the troops.

However, they were ambushed by the Xi and Khitan at Tuhuzhenshui in advance and were defeated. Afterwards, An Lushan blamed the incident on Yu Chengxian, the military commander of Hedong, and killed him to evade the blame.

This caused An Lushan to completely lose the support of his troops in Hedong, and the Heavenly Army did not obey his orders at all.

Especially when there were rumors that An Lushan was planning a rebellion, the Hedong army, led by the Tianbing Army, pledged allegiance to the court, causing An Lushan to lose the opportunity to seize the important city of Taiyuan.

……

The scene changes to Chang'an, mid-October.

When An Lushan was mobilizing his troops, an urgent secret report was sent back from the west over a distance of 700 miles.

This is Yuan Siyi’s “secret music”.

Gao Lishi knew that Li Longji had been frowning recently, and thought it was because of Li Xuan's victory in the Western Expedition. He excitedly entered Li Longji's bedroom with a secret report, hoping that Li Longji would be happy after seeing the news of victory.

"Saint, this is Yuan Siyi's secret music."

Gao Lishi handed the letter to Li Longji who was drinking alone.

Hearing that it was Yuan Siyi, Li Longji snatched the secret letter and tore open the seal.

"how come?"

It was written in Yuan Siyi's handwriting, with the seal of the military supervisor.

But the content shocked Li Longji.

After marching for half a year, King Tianshui encountered a sudden heavy rain when he reached the southern part of the Caspian Sea. His face turned pale, his lips turned blue, and he became so weak that he lay in bed unable to get up.

The army could only stay there to confront the 100,000-strong Arab army. They concealed the commander's illness and failed to start a war.

After reading the letter, Li Longji felt like the sky was falling.

The Northeast was facing a crisis, and Li Qillang fell ill at this time.

He looks very ill.

It was originally hoped that Li Qilang would be able to punish An Lushan at the critical moment.

"Send the royal physician to Persia quickly."

After waking up, Li Longji shouted.

He did not doubt the authenticity of the illness.

Unlike An Lushan, who claimed to be ill when he was summoned, Li Xuan was reported seriously ill by his close confidants.

When Gao Lishi learned that Li Qilang was seriously ill, his heart was pounding.

He had the same idea as Li Longji that with Li Qilang around, An Lushan was nothing to be afraid of.

Now, the sound of Yuyang’s drums seems to be ringing in my ears.

A day later, Li Xuan presented the memorial from the Anxi Protectorate to Chang'an.

In a weak tone, he said that he had not yet expanded the territory for the saint, and that as soon as he recovered from his illness, he would immediately launch an attack on the Arabs, and asked the saint to give him some more time.

When the news of Li Xuan's serious illness spread, Yang Guozhong, the Four Yangs, and some powerful and wealthy people celebrated.

They thought of the story of God being jealous of talented people. Huo Qubing of the Han Dynasty died in his twenties.

People who are too talented will be killed by God. They hope that the next letter from the Western Regions will be the news of Li Xuan's death.

As for An Lushan, even if he really rebelled, the country still had good generals and border troops to fight against him.

Li Shizhi was heartbroken when he learned the news.

Li Shizhi, one of the Eight Immortals of Drinking, was said to be like a whale sucking up hundreds of rivers. For several days, he did not drink a drop of wine.

But on this day, Luo Xing quietly returned to Chang'an from Anxi on the orders of Li Xuan.

He also brought with him Li Mi, a Taoist priest who lived in seclusion in Mount Zhongnan.

(End of this chapter)