An Lushan's rebellion shocked not only the emperor and royal nobles, but also the common people.

There was panic in Chang'an.

An Lushan's march southwards would inevitably affect the transportation of grain from various counties in Henan to Chang'an.

The prices of grain and silk soared again.

Even so, some grain merchants stored grain and did not sell it, making a fortune from the national crisis.

What Yang Guozhong expected did not happen. In late November, the rebels began to cross the Yellow River.

The rebels burned, killed and looted along the way. Everyone knew that there was no turning back and it was impossible for them to send An Lushan's head to Chang'an.

At this time, Gao Xianzhi had just arrived in Luoyang and was preparing to recruit soldiers.

It would definitely not be enough to rely solely on new recruits, as the Tang Dynasty also has the Central Imperial Guards.

These imperial guards were distributed in Jingzhao and Henan counties to protect the capital.

Everyone knows about the Four Armies of the Northern Yamen and the Twelve Guards of the Southern Yamen.

However, after the dissolution of the military service system, the recruitment system emerged, and the imperial guards could be roughly divided into two categories.

The flying cavalry, which is mainly composed of the Left and Right Yulin Army and the Left and Right Longwu Army, can also be called the "Flying Dragon Forbidden Army".

And the cavalry mainly composed of the Twelve Guards of the Southern Ya.

After a long period of peace, military training was neglected. Although the Tang Dynasty had more than 100,000 cavalry, their combat effectiveness was hard to describe.

There were 66,000 cavalrymen in the Jingzhao area around Chang'an.

Huayin County had 6,000 soldiers, Fengyi County had 9,000 soldiers, Fufeng County had 6,000 soldiers, Pingyang County had 1,500 soldiers, Hedong County had 12,300 soldiers, Jiang County had 3,600 soldiers, and Henan Prefecture had 3,000 soldiers.

The six prefectures of Juyang, Chenliu, Linru, Hongnong, Henei, and Xingyang each had six hundred cavalry.

Gao Xianzhi brought with him the cavalry from Huayin County and Hedong County, totaling more than 20,000 people, as his base.

When Gao Xianzhi learned that An Lushan's vanguard had crossed the Yellow River and arrived in Chenliu County, he realized that there was no chance to stop the rebels at the Yellow River. He could only quickly train new soldiers and cavalry, intending to fight a decisive battle with the rebels in Luoyang.

"How could the An thief cross the Yellow River so quickly? Isn't there a single loyal minister in the 24 counties of Hebei? If you can't learn from Wei Xiaokuan, can't you die for your country like Yang Kan?"

In Chongming Pavilion, Li Longji was filled with grief and anger when he learned that An Lushan was preparing to cross the river.

Yang Guozhong, who usually made his presence felt, was now timid and submissive. Facing Li Longji's anger, he did not even dare to raise his head.

He was afraid that Li Longji would punish him for his previous remarks.

Chen Xilie had always been a yes-man, submissive and submissive. Even Li Longji wanted to dismiss him.

"Your Majesty, Hebei has not seen war for over a hundred years. It is common sense that it is unable to resist the border troops and the Hu people due to the lack of war horses and armor. For now, we should establish a Henan Jiedushi, stationed in Chenliu, to buy time for Gao Shangshu to recruit and train soldiers. In addition, the flying cavalry and the cavalry in Chang'an must also be trained and supported quickly. Luoyang is the eastern capital of the Tang Dynasty and cannot be lost! To be on the safe side, please order the border generals to return to Chang'an and command the flying cavalry and the cavalry. The border troops that can be mobilized need to support Chang'an as soon as possible."

Seeing that the two prime ministers were hesitating and not saying anything, Wei Jiansu took the initiative to step forward and speak.

He intended to mobilize the entire country to put down An Lushan's rebellion.

Even a lion will use all its strength to fight a rabbit. He thought the generals of the imperial army had no ability, and only the commanders of the border army were reliable.

"Right Prime Minister, what do you think?"

Li Longji asked Yang Guozhong.

"I second the proposal."

Yang Guozhong realized the seriousness of the situation and dared not say anything more.

In just one month, Yang Guozhong felt the change in the attitude of civil and military officials towards him.

He underestimated An Lushan and did not expect that this mixed Hu would reach the Yellow River in the blink of an eye.

The counties along the way were so useless that they could not hold us back for more than a few days.

"Order Chenliu Governor Zhang Jieran as the governor of Henan, with the cavalry from Chenliu, Xingyang and other six counties as the main force, and the county soldiers as the deputy, to recruit local braves to defend the county city to the death and delay the time for An the thieves to reach the Eastern Capital."

"Order Hexi Jiedushi Geshuhan and Shuofang Jiedushi An Sishun to ride the express horses back to Chang'an, lead the cavalry and flying cavalry from Jingzhao, Fengyi, Fufeng and other places, and join forces with Gao Xianzhi in Luoyang to attack the rebels together."

"Order the governor of Longyou to mobilize the best soldiers and cavalry from Hexi and Longyou, and march to Chang'an immediately to suppress the rebellion."

"Send another special envoy to Persia. If the condition of the King of Tianshui improves, take the carriage back to Chang'an as soon as possible. The troops from the Western Regions will not be needed. The elite troops of Helong will be commanded by the King of Tianshui."

When the battle situation was critical, Li Longji's mind was briefly clear and he issued a series of military orders.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The ministers were shocked. If this were the case, the Tang Dynasty would definitely be able to destroy An Lushan.

The Helong Army is the old subordinates of King Tianshui. He leads his old subordinates and controls them as easily as his own arm.

It depends on how the King of Tianshui is doing. It has been so long, but I haven't heard any news.

Only the short-sighted Yang Guozhong was still cursing Li Xuan's death from illness in his heart.

He believed that once the reinforcements arrived in Luoyang, An Lushan would be killed without a burial place.

An Lushan's uprising was a road to self-destruction. He was like a grasshopper in autumn, which could not jump for long.

"Your Majesty, now that the Huihe have surrendered, there is no worry in the north. The Hu people dare not go south to graze their horses. You can send a general to lead the Shuofang Army and the Hedong Army to attack Hebei from Jingxing in the east and directly attack their old nest Fanyang."

Pei Zunqing bowed to Li Longji and said.

While Yang Guozhong is weak, the ministers can express their opinions at this time.

When the country was in danger, loyal officials and righteous men could not help but step forward and were no longer afraid of Yang Guozhong.

"After An Sishun comes back, who can take on the heavy responsibility?"

Li Longji thought this was a good idea, as it would prevent An Lushan from taking care of both ends.

"Your Majesty, when I was monitoring Shuofang, I found that Guo Ziyi, the former military commander of Shuofang, was good at commanding the army and was deeply loved by the soldiers. He could take on this important task. However, General Guo's mother passed away last year, and General Guo is currently at home in mourning."

Pei Shiyan recommended him to Li Longji.

"I have also heard of General Guo. He has been guarding the border for more than 30 years. Around the first year of Tianbao, he made many military achievements and was promoted to military envoy. If the border is peaceful, he can win the hearts of the soldiers."

Chen Xuanli also recommended Guo Ziyi.

"In the face of national danger, we should seize the opportunity to recruit Guo Ziyi. We should appoint him as the Minister of the Imperial Guard, Deputy Protector of Anbei, Governor of Lingwu County, and Deputy Ambassador of Shuofang Jiedushi. He should be in charge of Jiedushi affairs. He should lead the Shuofang Army to the east to fight against the An thieves!"

"Also quickly send an envoy to gather information about the troops in Hedong and see if they can be of any use."

Li Longji summoned him.

In this case, it is reasonable to stop observing mourning.

Once he achieved success and fame, no one would say that Guo Ziyi was unfilial. Instead, they would praise him highly.

In Li Longji's heart, he no longer wanted to use An Sishun, the governor of Shuofang.

Even if he returned to Chang'an to lead the Jiqi and Feiqi, it would be impossible for An Sishun to be given the position of commander-in-chief.

He did not forget that An Sishun was An Lushan's brother.

The reason why An Sishun was not killed directly was that in the 13th year of Tianbao, An Sishun repeatedly reported to the emperor that An Lushan was planning a rebellion.

He thought the two brothers had a conflict, so he didn't believe An Sishun.

I now regret not listening to An Sishun's advice.

After discussing the important matters, Li Longji asked the ministers to leave so that he could have some quiet time.

This discussion with the ministers invisibly weakened Yang Guozhong's power and gave the ministers confidence.

Under this political situation, Crown Prince Li Heng finally emerged and was ready to stand on the stage of history.

He began to order his trusted eunuch Li Jingzhong (later changed his name to Li Fuguo) to secretly visit princes and ministers in his name and win them over.

As he was about to grow old, he was unwilling to be a prince without any power for his entire life.

When Li Longji was in power, the crown prince not only had no followers, but also had no right to attend court meetings. He could only leave the East Palace and live with the other princes in the Sixteenth Prince's Residence.

Li Longji's stupidity led to An Lushan's rebellion and the loss of Hebei. He also favored Yang Guozhong and the Five Yangs, which made him lose the support of the people. This gave Li Heng hope of ascending to the throne.

When Li Heng learned that Guo Ziyi was preparing to command the Shuofang Army, he sent his trusted eunuch Cheng Yuanzhen to meet Guo Ziyi, bringing his personal letter, stating the country's crisis and his helplessness as the crown prince who had no place to realize his ambitions.

Li Heng was the one who most hoped for another defeat on the Luoyang front.

He is ready to take over the throne.

The best outcome is that Li Longji can realize his mistakes, voluntarily abdicate, and enjoy his old age.

……

Before Geshu Han and An Sishun returned to Chang'an, the Jingzhao area had already begun recruiting cavalry.

Although there were still 66,000 cavalry guarding the vicinity of Chang'an, their quality was worse than that of cavalry in other places.

I rarely train for several months and I can no longer wear my armor.

Most of the Southern Yamen Imperial Guards worked as vendors in the markets of Chang'an, some became commoners, and some became followers of high-ranking officials.

The imperial court's call-up made these people who called themselves "Imperial Guards" look confused, and they all forgot that they were Imperial Guards.

Thinking about having to wear armor and hold weapons to fight against the brutal rebels, they even tried to flee.

The key point was that the imperial guard system was in chaos, and it was difficult to find deserters for a while.

In desperation, the court could only open the treasury and reward silk to stabilize the army's morale a little. It also recruited some civilians to join the cavalry.

But before anyone knew it, there was not much silk and money left in the treasury.

……

Kucha City.

On the day when news of An Lushan's rebellion broke out, Luo Xing sent fast horses to deliver the news to Qiuci City.

Li Xuan determined that the time was not much different from the Anshi Rebellion in history, and began to deploy.

In late November, Anxi's subordinates, generals, and kings of various countries were summoned by Li Xuan to the meeting hall of the Grand Protectorate.

"Everyone, I just received news that An Lushan has raised an army in Fanyang and is rapidly heading south. I suspect he will take the tactic of directly attacking the Eastern Capital."

After everyone gathered together, Li Xuan went straight to the point.

Li Xuan has never called himself "this king". This time he called himself "this king", which is meaningful.

An Lushan rebelled!
All the civil and military officials in the room were shocked, saying that the King of Tianshui was truly a god.

If An Lushan had not rebelled, the Tianshui King's blocking of the road to the Hexi Corridor would have been exposed sooner or later.

"General Li, now that An Lushan has rebelled, it is a good time to send troops to kill Yang Guozhong. Please give the order, and your soldiers are ready."

Wei Boyu, the military envoy of Khotan, asked Li Xuan for orders.

He was promoted by Li Xuan, and vowed to follow Li Shuai to accomplish great things and leave his name in history.

Wei Boyu's attitude is also the wish of the generals under Li Xuan.

In this regard, the generals in the Western Regions were united in their thoughts.

"I plan to lead the army that has arrived in Qiuci to Yumen Pass in two days. What do you think?"

After seeing the generals' attitude, Li Xuan was very satisfied and told them what he had planned long ago.

As early as October, the Suiye Army, the Khotan Army, the Yanqi Army, and the Great Wall Army had already arrived outside the city of Qiuci.

With the extra 10,000 soldiers, Li Xuan established the Shule Army and the Boxian Army.

Bai Xiaode was promoted to be the garrison commander of Shule, and Hao Tingyu was promoted to be the garrison commander of Boxian.

Four more deputy envoys were promoted and additional positions were added.

Li Xuan's 10,000 personal guards were officially named the Tiance Army.

Pei Ying was appointed commander of the Tiance Army.

The Tian Ce Army was divided into two parts, Xue Cuo was the general of the left part, and Luo Xing, who was still in Chang'an, was the general of the right part.

In addition, the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions assembled another 10,000 cavalrymen, led by Yuchi Sheng, the King of Khotan, and followed Li Xuan.

There are also tens of thousands of infantrymen from the Anxi countries, who are responsible for maintaining the food supply routes and guarding the prisoners.

When Li Xuan was competing for the Central Plains this time, only the Zhezhi Army and the Congling Army in Anxi had not been mobilized.

The Anxi troops left behind more than 5,000 men to garrison and capture the forts.

Li Xuan did not summon the cavalry from the Gelulu, Turkic and other tribes.

First, these two armies were needed to help the Persian Kingdom resist major events, and second, the Karluk Khanate was needed to guard against the Uighurs.

When the Huihe tried to sabotage Li Xuan's plans, Li Xuan would order Shi Li to attack the western part of the Huihe.

Now that Shili has established the Khanate, he was named Huai'en Khan.

"Replying to General Li, aren't we being too hasty now? We can sit tight and wait for news from Chang'an."

Feng Changqing replied to Li Xuan.

He believed that the best time for them would be to make sure that An Lushan crossed the Yellow River.

Once the rebels cross the Yellow River, they will be able to tie down most of the cavalry, flying cavalry, and Hedong army.

Not long ago, Feng Changqing just came back from Zhezhi City. Although the news that Li Xuan wanted to purge the emperor's side made him uncomfortable, Feng Changqing accepted it after being persuaded by Li Xuan.

The Tang Dynasty needs someone like King Tianshui to take charge of the overall situation.

Feng Changqing loves to read "The Spring and Autumn Annals" and has lofty ambitions. Li Xuan stands on a bigger stage, which gives him unlimited possibilities.

"The Yanyun Iron Cavalry is not just a name. Moreover, An Lushan has the Six Huzhou and the Xi, Khitan, Mohe and other Hu tribes to help him. The imperial guards have been neglected for a long time and are vulnerable. Even if Han Xin and Bai Qi were alive, they would not be able to lead the imperial guards to defeat the rebels."

"When the imperial court loses the war, it will summon the border troops of Hexi and Longyou to quell the rebellion. I still have prestige in the Hexi and Longyou armies, and I have many old subordinates. I can control the Hexi and Longyou armies before the imperial court summons them. Only in this way can we ensure the support of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Xuan expressed his thoughts.

Historically, Feng Changqing was defeated repeatedly when fighting against the rebels in Luoyang.

It's not that Feng Changqing is incompetent. It would be strange if he could defeat the rebels by leading a group of untrained recruits and a group of good-for-nothing imperial guards!

Li Xuan never underestimated the power of the Yanyun Cavalry. The people in the Yanzhao area are tough and there has been no shortage of brave men since ancient times.

What's more, An Lushan allowed his soldiers to rape and plunder, which at least improved the rebels' fighting power by one level.

The reason why so many of Li Xuan’s old subordinates in Helong were traitors was because in history the Helong Army was badly defeated in a clash with the Fanyang Pinglu Army, which led to many generals defecting to An Lushan.

Although Li Longji's micromanagement was the reason, the rebels won with fewer troops and their combat effectiveness was real.

Li Xuan wanted to intercept the Helong Army before they went to quell the rebellion.

The Helong Army is one of Li Xuan's foundations and cannot be lost.

This was also the reason why Li Xuan planned for Li Shizhi and his brothers and sisters to escape from Chang'an.

Once the secret of Li Xuan's control over the Helong Army is leaked, the murderous Li Longji will execute Li Shizhi and Li Yi just like he executed An Qingxu and Princess Rongyi.

"We will follow Li Shuai's arrangements."

Feng Changqing feels inferior to Li Xuan. He will refute others, but he will not doubt the invincible Li Xuan.

When discussing military affairs with Li Xuan, Feng Changqing was always impressed by Li Xuan's broad mind and strategic vision.

Li Xuan's outstanding military achievements are beyond the reach of any famous general in ancient times.

"King of Kucha, King of Yanqi, King of Shule, you all know what will happen when I go to Chang'an. I hope you can control your soldiers, manage your own countries well, obey the call of the Grand Protectorate, and keep the Western Regions stable."

"If the news of my defeat and death reaches you, you can make your own decisions. I don't want any unrest to occur in Anxi Beiting while I am alive, otherwise I will punish you severely."

Li Xuan told King Baiba of Kucha and other kings that this was a warning to them.

As long as he is alive, these countries will be obedient and serve as logistics support for the Tang Dynasty.

Li Xuan was most at ease with the Kingdom of Khotan.

Because Yuchi Sheng had expressed his loyalty to him, once he sent troops to Yumen Pass, he would pass the throne to his younger brother Yuchi Yao. As a general, he would command 10,000 Western Region cavalry for Li Xuan.

Let these 10,000 Western Region cavalrymen become the sharp sword of King Tianshui, and be as brave and good at fighting as the Anxi Beiting Army.

"General Tian, ​​rest assured. You are unique in your greatness. Your divine power is unparalleled and you are worshipped by the world. Our loyalty to you is like a mountain and will never waver. The warriors of our country will do their best to help you accomplish your great task. When you take power again, we will meet in Chang'an to pay a visit to General Tian!"

Qiuci is the largest country in the Western Regions. Bai Ba stood up on behalf of all the kings and chiefs and expressed his views to Li Xuan with a sincere look.

If Li Xuan died, they would definitely have to find a way out. But as long as Li Xuan was alive, they would not dare to have any other thoughts.

"Qing minister, after the army sets out, it will begin to transport food, grass, cattle and sheep to Dunhuang City. Anyone who dares to disobey orders will be executed first and then reported."

Li Xuan gave instructions to Yan Zhenqing again.

The grain was first transported to Dunhuang, and then transferred to Liangzhou City along the Hexi Corridor.

Although a lot of food will be consumed during this period, he only needs to support it for one year, and he can obtain food from other channels.

"As ordered!"

Yan Zhenqing said with a bow.

During the past six months, he has changed his mentality and will assist Li Xuan to the end. Even if he dies, he will have no regrets.

Just as Li Xuan had expected, An Lushan rebelled.

The world definitely needs people like Li Xuan to rebuild the country and bring prosperity back to the world. "All the generals and subordinates, each has his own duties. At this moment, we all prosper together and suffer together."

"Once you have completed the task of clearing the imperial court, your names will be listed in the Lingyan Pavilion, and you will also have separate biographies in the history books like Chen Ping and Cao Shen. You will be granted titles of nobility and appointed as generals, bringing honor to your family."

"We are for the greater good, for justice! After entering Yumen Pass, all troops must observe military discipline. Those who rape or plunder will be executed!"

"Pass the order down. Any soldier can report to me anyone who violates military discipline. Once confirmed, the rank will be promoted three levels and rewarded with ten gold coins..."

Li Xuan stood up and spoke in a strong and powerful voice.

He promised wealth and glory, but also demanded strict military discipline.

Li Xuan's generous rewards to his soldiers were unprecedented in history.

As long as one has the ability, even a newly enlisted soldier can be granted a title of nobility or become a general.

"Swear to be loyal to Marshal Li until death!"

The generals and subordinates in the hall looked stern and spoke in unison.

After the meeting, Li Xuan ordered the logistics department to reward the three armies for two consecutive days.

He would also transport the gold, silver and jewelry obtained from Persia to Liangzhou City and reward soldiers who had made contributions at any time.

During this period, Li Xuan summoned Lu Jing, the garrison commander of Zhezhi, and Lun Weizhen, the garrison commander of Congling, and gave them instructions on some matters.

After Li Xuan stabilizes the situation, he will send a minister to Hezhong to take charge of the deployment.

Li Xuan believed that Yan Zhenqing was very talented and had military talent.

He also told Yan Zhenqing about the Persian Empire.

Once the Arab Empire attacked, Yan Zhenqing did not need to ask for instructions, but directly conveyed orders to the Qarluk and Turgesh tribes, and entered Persia to provide support together with the Pamir Army, Zhezhi Army, and the Hezhong Allied Forces.

Li Xuan gave the Persian army thousands of sets of chain mail and three thousand obsolete crossbows.

I hope the Persian army can resist for a while longer.

Of course, these military supplies did not come without a price. Persia exchanged them for large amounts of food and iron and copper.

Yan Zhenqing deeply felt Li Xuan's trust in him and vowed to do his best to ensure that Li Xuan would have no worries.

Beiting Protectorate is under the jurisdiction of Yan Gaoqing, so there is no need to worry too much.

On November 25th, snowflakes were floating on the fields outside the city of Qiuci, fluttering like jade chips.

In the early morning, Li Xuan, wearing his military armor and escorted by his personal guards, rewarded the entire army for the last time.

Afterwards, he made an impassioned speech, stating the necessity and helplessness of sending troops, and promised that after this war, hundreds of generals would appear and they would be selected from the soldiers who followed him.

The soldiers were very excited!

Li Xuan's clear rewards and punishments had long been popular among the people. The soldiers believed that as long as they made contributions, they could become one of the generals.

They all swore to fight to the death on the battlefield.

At noon, after the soldiers finished eating the roasted lamb, Li Xuan pushed Yuan Siyi out and killed him as a sacrifice to show that there was no way out and to express his determination.

“Ah… spare my life!”

"Pfft!"

As Yuan Siyi begged for mercy, the guards' swords fell, separating Yuan Siyi's head from his body.

"Clear the emperor's side! Clear the emperor's side!"

"Li Shuai Tianwei! Li Shuai Tianwei..."

The loud shouts of tens of thousands of soldiers shocked the sky and stopped the clouds.

The echoing sound drifted farther and farther away...

The entire city of Kucha was trembling.

All businessmen knew that a great war was about to happen, and their business would be sluggish for a short period of time.

"set off!"

Li Xuan issued a military order.

The Suiye army, led by Lai Zhen, the envoy of the Suiye army, set out first.

Lai Zhen, like Guo Ziyi, was in mourning at home, but after being persuaded by Li Xuan, he returned to the army.

The central army followed closely, but the vanguard marched at a rapid pace to distance itself from the central army and sent out light cavalry scouts to intercept anyone entering from Yumen Pass and Yangguan.

Including Li Xuan's Tian Ce Guard and the Western Region Cavalry, there were a total of 50,000 cavalrymen, all of whom had horses and carried dry food and beef jerky.

Among them was Li Xuan’s personal guard, each riding two horses.

Most of the other armies had 30 percent of spare horses.

There is food stored on the newly built road to Yumen Pass, so the soldiers can replenish their food when they stop.

Li Xuan planned to travel at least 120 miles a day and reach Yumen Pass as soon as possible.

Accompanying Li Xuan on this trip were Feng Changqing, Cen Shen, Liu Tiao, Dugu Jun and hundreds of other subordinates.

Many of these officials were Jinshi and Mingjing graduates.

As long as someone came from afar to seek refuge with Li Xuan, he would accept them, even if they had no position, he would make them his retainer.

There were also dozens of subordinates left in Anxi Beiting. They and some minor clerks were responsible for the normal operation of the Western Regions.

Li Xuan rode on a white horse and watched the soldiers leave by the side of the road.

Behind the front army, the cavalry of the central army was galloping quickly, and he stood still like a statue in the wind and snow.

Snowflakes are falling all over my body!

When the soldiers saw Marshal Li standing in the snow, they were even more moved and filled with fighting spirit.

It was not until two hours later that all the knights, craftsmen, military doctors and other convoys passed by Li Xuan.

Li Xuan did not follow the central army's pace immediately. He asked the Tiance Guards not to follow him and rode a white horse alone to the east gate of Qiuci City.

On the city wall, Pei Lingxi, Jiang Yueyao and other women were watching their husbands coming towards the city gate.

In the distance, dense cavalrymen were advancing into the depths of the snow and fog like a long dragon.

The sky and the earth were all white, with only Li Xuan, wearing a helmet, sitting on a white horse.

They stared at each other with deep affection.

Li Xuan did not dismount and did not say a word, but his eyes told everything.

After a while, Li Xuan waved to Pei Lingxi, Jiang Yueyao and other girls, then turned his horse and left.

Looking at Li Xuan's back, they burst into tears.

I don’t know when we will meet again.

As Yan Zhenqing and his subordinates returned to the city, the rows of horse hoof prints would soon be wiped out by the wind and snow.

At the same time as the army gathered in Qiuci, far away in Tianshan, Che Shensai, Li Siye, Liu Shan, Cheng Qianli and others led the Jinglüe Army, Qiuci Army, Hanhai Army, Tianshan Army, and Yiwu Army, totaling 40,000 soldiers, and marched eastward to Yiwu.

Before, these soldiers had been herding horses in the Tianshan Mountains. Now that the horses are fat and strong, it is time to go out of the mountains.

Beiting was similar to Anxi, except that only 5,000 soldiers were selected from the three armies of Beiting to guard against the small Hu tribes in the north who might come to exploit them.

There are many Han people in the Tianshan Mountains and the Hanhai area, and Li Xuan is responsible for their safety.

The entire Western Region regular army has 80,000 cavalry and the auxiliary army has 10,000 cavalry, which is enough to meet Li Xuan's expectations.

More vassal troops to provide logistics support.

……

The wind and snow stopped after several days, but the army kept on marching. They wore cotton-padded clothes to keep warm and had supplies along the way, but their speed was a little slower than expected.

After all, they carried a large amount of armor, weapons and arrows, and were accompanied by many craftsmen and military doctors.

In early December, the weather was warm and windy.

"How long is it until Yumen Pass?"

One day, after setting up camp in the desert Gobi, Li Xuan asked the marching Sima Wang Tao.

"Reporting to General Li, we are already in the south of Yiwu, and are still 200 miles away from Yumen Pass."

Wang Tao replied to Li Xuan.

"Order General Che to march south to join our army outside Yumen Pass."

Li Xuan issued a military order.

"As ordered!"

Wang Tao accepted the order.

"Report... General Li, the scouts ahead have intercepted the imperial envoy."

Just then, the messenger came to report.

"Special envoy? Bring him up!"

Li Xuan frowned and ordered his men to bring the imperial envoy to him.

Li Longji had sent an envoy once before and also sent an imperial physician to Persia.

However, before those people arrived in Qiuci, they were imprisoned by Li Xuan.

Li Xuan also forced his men to write a secret memorial to Li Longji, activate the post system, and send it to Chang'an in order to paralyze Li Longji.

Half an hour later, the envoy, escorted by the Yulin Army, was brought out of the tent.

The envoy's name was Zhu Guanghui, and he was Li Longji's trusted eunuch.

Along the way he saw countless cavalrymen preparing to set up camp, with people shouting and horses neighing.

How come the troops from the Western Regions are so close to Yumen Pass?
He heard that he was going to be taken to see King Tianshui, and he didn't understand why King Tianshui was here.

Zhu Guanghui subconsciously thought that the Prince of Tianshui had recovered from his illness, so he sent troops to quell the rebellion.

"Please come in, envoy. Marshal Li is waiting in the big tent!"

Outside Li Xuan's tent, the guards signaled Zhu Guanghui to enter.

However, when the special envoy arrived, Li Xuan did not come out to greet him, which made Zhu Guanghui very unhappy.

Throughout history, whenever an envoy from the emperor arrived, the local officials would definitely go out to greet him in person.

So Zhu Guanghui tidied his appearance outside the camp and entered the camp.

Inside the camp, there were four personal guards carrying swords, and several military attendants and military commanders sitting nearby, recording the essentials of the march.

In the deepest part of the camp, Li Xuan looked at the map of the Tang Dynasty with his back to Zhu Guanghui.

It seemed as if he was unaware that the envoy had entered the camp.

This situation made Zhu Guanghui very embarrassed.

Although King Tianshui is powerful, he is the emperor's special envoy. Even if you look down on him, you should still respect the emperor!

After a moment of silence, Zhu Guanghui, in order to maintain his image, summoned up the courage to shout: "King Tianshui, the saint has issued an order, why don't you bow and receive it!"

After he finished speaking, Li Xuan slowly turned around and stared at Zhu Guanghui.

Zhu Guanghui was about to say something else, but when he saw Li Xuan's stern and decisive look, he felt a chill down his spine and softened his words unconsciously: "King Tianshui, the Saint asked me to convey his will to you and inquire about your condition."

"Bring up the imperial edict!"

After Li Xuan's voice was heard, the personal guards took the imperial edict from Zhu Guanghui's hand.

Zhu Guanghui, realizing that something was wrong, didn't dare to breathe.

Li Xuan opened the imperial edict, which contained greetings from Li Longji, asking him to suspend the western expedition against the Arab Empire and to return to Chang'an immediately to quell the rebellion if he could.

Li Longji expressed his hope, in a tone of "If you don't come out of the mountains, what will happen to the people?", that Li Xuan could go to the battlefield despite his illness and save people from drowning and fire.

"Take the envoy and his entourage and stay in Yiwul temporarily."

After reading the imperial edict, Li Xuan gave instructions to his personal guards.

"King Tianshui has recovered from his illness, which is a cause for celebration. What is your reply? I will go back and report to the Saint."

When Zhu Guanghui saw his guards coming, he immediately shouted.

"You don't need to go back!"

Li Xuan replied indifferently.

Zhu Guanghui and his group were naturally imprisoned.

After hearing Li Xuan's words, Zhu Guanghui's legs went limp and he was prevented from collapsing only by being supported by his personal guards.

He already got the answer!
King Tianshui appeared here with ulterior motives.

There is a high probability that he betrayed the Tang Dynasty like An Lushan.

Compared with An Lushan, King Tianshui is more terrifying.

But Zhu Guanghui was destined to be unable to pass the news back to Chang'an.

Two days later, the army was less than fifty miles away from Yumen Pass.

The northern army led by Che Shensai and Li Siye was less than seventy miles away from Yumen Pass.

Li Xuan did not allow the army to continue advancing.

The next morning, he selected five hundred cavalrymen from the Tiance Guards and led Pei Ying, Xue Cuo, Feng Changqing, and several followers to rush towards Yumen Pass.

In the morning, the patrol cavalry of the Yumen Army stationed at Yumen Pass discovered Li Xuan's trace.

Come to inquire about the origins.

But they were shocked to find that the visitor was the Queen of Tianshui, and immediately passed the news to the commander of Yumen Pass.

Arriving at Yumen Pass, the guard came out to greet them: "Meet the King of Tianshui!"

"No need to be polite. I'm sure you know that An Lushan is rebelling. I'm going to Henan to quell the rebellion on the orders of the Saint."

Li Xuan said to the commander of Yumen Pass.

He had not led the Hexi Army for eight years. In addition, Geshu Han suffered a stroke and gradually lost control of the Hexi Army. He prepared to lead the army into the pass first.

"With the arrival of Tianshui King, the rebels will surely surrender. Quickly open the gate and let Tianshui King in."

The commander of Yumen Pass was once a subordinate of Li Xuan. He knew the bravery of King Tianshui very well and had no doubts.

In this way, Li Xuan's five hundred Tiance cavalry easily entered Yumen Pass.

After arriving at the city gate, some of them stayed behind.

Hundreds of cavalrymen also left the city and blocked the mountain road leading into the city from the Hexi Corridor.

The commander of Yumen Pass thought that King Tianshui was going to leave quickly, but he didn't expect that he did not leave.

Just when he was curious, Li Xuan smiled and said, "There are 90,000 cavalry dozens of miles away. I am waiting for them in the city."

When these words were spoken, the commander of Yumen Pass was very shocked!
I heard that King Tianshui went on an expedition to Persia.

The news of An Lushan's rebellion had just reached Yumen Pass, and it was said that the rebellion started in early November.

It's only early December now, why are Anxi's troops dispatched?
Still 90,000 cavalry!

The Jiedushi was not informed of the coming of so many troops, which means he was not aware of it.

"Should we report this to the military envoy and the governor?"

The commander of Yumen Pass tried to speak to Li Xuan.

"Yang Guozhong has seized power and is in control of the Flying Cavalry and the Cavalry. I have received the secret order from the Saint to execute Yang Guozhong. You must not make it public. Soldiers must stay inside the pass and wait for orders."

Seeing that the commander of Yumen Pass was in trouble, Li Xuan patted him on the shoulder.

"As ordered!"

Things have come to this point, and the commander of Yumen Pass can only obey.

He didn't dare to act rashly in front of Li Xuan. Although there were thousands of elite soldiers in Yumen Pass, Li Xuan was outnumbered by ten thousand men, and all of them combined were no match for him.

From Li Xuan's words about killing Yang Guozhong, he realized that things were not that simple.

Soon after, an overwhelming number of cavalry appeared at the foot of Yumen Pass.

Thousands of light cavalry first entered Yumen Pass, led by Hao Tingyu, and rushed out of the pass towards Dunhuang, first cutting off the road from the Hexi Corridor to Dunhuang.

In this way, a large number of cavalry crossed the mountain roads one after another and reached the wilderness.

How could the defenders of Yumen Pass not understand after seeing such a scene?
The Hexi Army had just received Li Longji's edict and was ready to go to quell the rebellion. Before many troops set out, Li Xuan took the lead and entered the Hexi Corridor...

(End of this chapter)