Changan.

Li Shizhi fled Chang'an on the night of December 28th.

In fact, on December 29th, Wang Wei came to visit the sick Li Shizhi.

But the mansion at the foot of Mount Li was deserted, the door was closed, and there was not even a servant.

He thought that Li Shizhi's condition had improved and he had returned to Pingkangfang, Chang'an to celebrate the New Year.

Then change train to Pingkangfang.

I knocked on the door of Pingkangfang, but no one responded.

He went to look for Pei Fan, who was familiar to him, but he didn't know where Pei Fan and his wife had gone.

This made Wang Wei think deeply.

Not only Wang Wei, but also several other noble officials who visited Li Shizhi failed to find him.

Strangely, Li Shizhi’s “disappearance out of thin air” that day did not alarm Chang’an.

Even hundreds of cavalrymen escorted the carriages through the Jingzhao area.

Because the county soldiers and prefecture soldiers from all over the place, the new recruits from the Changping Army dominated.

Liao Zhengrong arranged the roadblocks between counties with new soldiers from Changping.

Led by the commander of the new recruits of Changping, they can get away with it with any excuse.

People were more concerned about the war in the east.

It was not until December 30, the day before the Chinese New Year, that Yang Guozhong sent people to see if Li Shizhi was dead or not. They discovered that they could not find Li Shizhi after searching Chang'an. Even Li Shizhi's sons, daughter, and sons-in-law had disappeared without a trace.

This matter was of great importance, so they hurried back to report to Yang Guozhong.

"What? Li Xuan's family members are nowhere to be found! Even the hostage Li Yi is nowhere to be found!"

Yang Guozhong was very shocked.

"Snapped!"

After a moment's silence, Yang Guozhong slapped his thigh and stood up from his seat: "Not good! Li Qilang wants to rebel like An Lushan! Li Xiaoze and Li Laoze have been pretending to be sick."

This is the only explanation!
On the eve of the rebellion, Li Qilang did not want Li Shizhi and Li Yi to be killed like An Qingzong, so he moved Li Shizhi away in advance.

Apart from his spies, An Lushan had no foundation in Chang'an.

The literati looked down on An Lushan, and the aristocratic families did not buy into An Lushan's ideas. It was extremely difficult to rescue An Qingzong!
But Li Xuan was different. He was both a member of the royal family and a member of the gentry.

He served as prime minister for three years and had countless followers.

His outstanding military achievements earned him admiration from the world.

Those who hate Li Xuan gnashed their teeth; but those who respect Li Xuan worshipped him as a god.

As long as Li Xuan has a plan in advance, many people are willing to cover for him.

In addition, Yang Guozhong had always been resentful of the Changping New Soldiers Commander. Although Yang Guozhong weakened the Changping New Soldiers Commander to the same level as the county soldiers, and could not interfere with the county power, the Changping New Soldiers Commander mobilized tens of thousands of Changping new soldiers across the country, which made him feel uncomfortable.

The escape of Li Shizhi and Li Yi this time must have been carried out by the new recruits from Changping.

"The old thief Li must have fled westward."

"Come here, notify the imperial cavalry to pursue Li Shizhi and Li Yi. Have the post station send a letter to the counties along the way, ordering the county governors to stop Li Shizhi first."

"Arrest Liao Zhengrong again."

"Capture Li Qilang's father-in-law Pei Fan..."

"Change my clothes for me. I want to go to Huaqing Palace to meet the Saint!"

Yang Guozhong issued orders one after another, thinking that it was still not too late to pursue the enemy.

Because Li Shizhi and his entire family left, there were many female relatives and it was impossible for all of them to ride horses.

Although the carriage is fast, it is far inferior to the cavalry.

It's a thousand-mile journey, and with the county magistrate blocking the way, there is a high probability that Li Shizhi and Li Yi can be stopped.

Li Qilang is not as cruel as An Lushan. With both father and son in his hands, he will definitely be cautious and submit obediently.

This is also the significance of General Bian's keeping his relatives in Chang'an as hostages.

In the Huaqing Palace, inside the Feishuang Hall.

The singing and dancing had long stopped, and in the hall surrounded by hot springs, Li Longji always sat on the steps in a daze.

Even though they urged him again and again, the messengers were running around but still hadn't received any news from Li Qilang.

He didn't know when his Li Qilang would come back to help him suppress the rebellion.

Li Longji only gave up his joy when his kingdom was truly threatened.

It’s not because he suddenly came to his senses, but because he couldn’t let go of the power of life and death.

He could live a life of drunkenness and dreams in Huaqing Palace because he was a saint, the Heavenly Khan whose "palaces were opened in the nine heavens and people from all nations dressed in formal attire and bowed to him."

"Your Majesty, the Right Prime Minister has something important to report to you!"

Gao Lishi came to the hall and reported to Li Longji.

Gao Lishi looks older than before.

Li Longji is everything to Gao Lishi. Even if he blames Li Longji for his stupidity in his heart, he will still support him unwaveringly.

"Let Guozhong enter the palace."

Li Longji waved his hands, looking exhausted.

The Jiqi and Feiqi had just arrived at Tongguan, and he did not regard it as good news for victory.

An Lushan's rebellion was like a slap in the face to Li Longji.

So much so that after the defeat in Luoyang, he became so angry and humiliated that he killed Gao Xianzhi.

It can be said that all the mistakes he made against An Lushan had to be borne by the soldiers and the people.

Use Gao Xianzhi's incompetence to save his remaining face.

Perhaps, only Li Longji himself thought so.

"Saint, something terrible is happening, something terrible is happening..."

"Li Shizhi and Li Qilang's eldest son Li Yi fled Chang'an. Their entire family has disappeared. I believe that Li Qilang has rebelled and the army from the Western Regions will approach Yumen Pass!"

Yang Guozhong rushed into the meeting hall of Feishuang Palace without bothering to greet Li Longji. He spoke directly after seeing him.

Li Longji stood up suddenly, and due to the large amplitude of his movement, his hat fell to the ground.

He stared at Yang Guozhong with wide eyes, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes kept twitching.

Afterwards, Li Longji felt dizzy, his body went limp, and he collapsed on the couch.

When Yang Guozhong's words reached Li Longji's ears, it was like a heavy hammer hitting his heart. In addition to being shocked, disappointment surged like a tide, and the heartache suffocated him.

He thought he heard it wrong, but he was sure he didn't!

Hundreds of family members fled Chang'an, and the hostage disappeared. At this critical juncture, anyone would think of the word "treason" first.

how could be?

An Lushan was an uncivilized Hu boy, but Li Xuan was a talented and handsome man from the royal family and a supporter of Confucianism.

During their conversation, Li Xuan even proposed the concept of "the Confucian who practices morality", believing that practicing morality is more noble and has more values. The ancient scholars and ministers who are in line with the Confucianism should be honored in the Confucian Temple.

It seemed like he was planning for his future a hundred years later, so Li Longji once thought that Li Xuan wanted to not only become the chief priest of the Temple of Martial Arts after his death, but also to be enshrined in the Temple of Literature, so that his reputation would last forever.

At that time, Li Longji used this as a joke to tease Li Xuan.

In addition, Li Xuan had always been humble and respectful, and his words were loyal, which made Li Longji never suspect that Li Xuan would rebel.

Li Longji leaned weakly on the couch, recalling the past ten years, when he was with Li Xuan.

Those glorious military exploits made him laugh heartily and full of ambition.

He is satisfied with both his brilliant literary and military achievements, who can compete with him?

I wish to serve my country for the rest of my life, so why should I go through Yumen Pass?
Report your favor on the golden platform, and bring Yulong to die for the king.

Before the world's worries and worries, after the world's joy and joy.

Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever the rivers flow, all belong to the Tang Dynasty...

Those verses of poetry expressing loyalty to the emperor and serving the country.

There were deafening words in the court.

Li Longji still had Li Xuan's high spirits in his mind.

The kind of lightness and ease with which one can speak freely...

Who would deny that this is a loyal minister?
"It's not certain whether the Saint will calm down... It's not certain whether the Saint will calm down..."

Gao Lishi walked quickly forward, picked up the hat that had fallen on the ground, put it back on Li Longji's silver-haired head, and comforted him softly.

Li Longji is already seventy years old.

It is rare for a person to live to be seventy, but he cannot withstand continuous blows.

After hearing the news, Gao Lishi stood there in a daze for a long time. His legs were so stiff that he couldn't lift them.

His relationship with Li Xuan was established on movable type printing.

No matter how favored Li Xuan was, he never told anyone that he invented movable type printing.

The credit for inventing movable type printing was given to Gao Lishi.

And specifically promoted the benefits of woodblock printing.

Over the past decade, Gao Lishi has trained a large number of woodblock craftsmen.

Not to mention every county, almost every county town has established a printing house.

Once printing becomes popular, Li Longji's political ideal of "establishing a school in every township" will surely be realized.

From the earliest children, all of them knew how to be courteous and yield to others. This was a trend that had never existed before. The fact that Li Longji was able to do this during the Kaiyuan Prosperity was the most brilliant achievement in history.

But with the rebellion of An Lushan, the days of peace and tranquility when I was old and had never known war were gone.

Therefore, there is no scholar who does not praise Gao Lishi.

Gao Lishi admired and appreciated Li Xuan, and he wanted to give himself a reason.

But Yang Guozhong would definitely not dare to talk nonsense at this time.

Even though the eastern capital Luoyang fell, Gao Lishi always had hope.

Because there is the God of War Li Qillang!

He believed that Li Qilang could definitely defeat An Lushan with his elite troops.

If Li Qillang really wants to rebel, who can he rely on?
Looking at the famous generals in the world, they all seem to be Li Qilang’s old subordinates.

Even though Li Qillang is not yet thirty years old!

"Li Xuan, An Lushan, I treat you like my own sons. I give you the highest official positions, the greatest titles, and the best rewards."

"Your children all hold high positions and receive generous salaries, and your ancestors have all been posthumously honored."

"Why did you betray me? Why?!"

Li Longji bent over and slapped the jade couch, roaring at the top of his lungs.

The people in the palace were trembling and lying on the ground.

Yang Guozhong was also very scared.

He regarded Li Xuan as his opponent, but never denied Li Xuan's ability.

He believed that An Lushan would eventually be pacified, but he knew that Li Xuan would be difficult to eliminate.

Given Li Xuan's hostility towards the Five Yangs, they will definitely kill him after entering Chang'an.

What Yang Guozhong was most worried about was that the Helong Army would let Li Xuan enter Yumen Pass.

Even though his confidant Wu Huai'en now controls the most important Hexi Army.

At the same time, Yang Yuhuan, who was in the inner hall, also heard Li Longji's roar.

Her body trembled in disbelief.

Li Qillang is such a good person, so loyal and patriotic, why would he betray the court?
Just as An Lushan deceived her, Li Xuan also deceived her.

She didn't understand Li Xuan's ambitions and her heart was full of contradictions.

For a moment, she felt a headache and when she looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes were already tearful.

"When did Li Shizhi disappear? Hurry and bring him back!"

Li Longji then realized the key point and said angrily.

"It is said that Li Shizhi was still there the day before yesterday. He should have escaped the night before yesterday. I have ordered the imperial army to pursue him and have ordered the counties along the way to stop him..."

Yang Guozhong answered cautiously.

"Announce to the world that all Li the traitor's positions, honors, and assignments shall be stripped, and he shall be considered guilty of treason."

Li Longji issued another summons.

Love desires its life, evil desires its death.

Before, he always hoped that Li Xuan's condition would get better, but now he wished that Li Xuan would die immediately.

The reason was that Li Xuan had exercised his power.

This is his reverse scale.

Li Shizhi's family's escape from Chang'an meant that Li Xuan's intention to rebel was obvious.

No wonder the envoy he sent did not make any move. He must have been killed by Li Xuan.

Li Xuan is pretending to be sick.

Li Longji didn't know the situation in the Caspian Sea thousands of miles away, but he could guess that Li Xuan did not fight a bloody battle with the Arab Empire.

There was even an ulterior motive hidden from him.

"Your Majesty, the best plan for today is to replace Wang Nan, the governor of Longyou, and send a loyal minister to Longyou to lead the troops. Although Wang Nan has received the grace of the saint, he was promoted to the position of governor by Li Xuan, and it is difficult to guarantee Wang Nan's loyalty to the court. Especially at this critical moment, we have to be on guard. As for Wu Huai'en, the governor of Hexi, he is loyal to the court, so there is no need to worry."

"Order the troops in Hexi and Longyou to stop returning to Chang'an. Use Hexi and Longyou as the main force to resist Li Xuan. With a strong general leading a strong army, there will definitely be a chance of victory."

Yang Guozhong made some suggestions to Li Longji.

In any case, he could just get rid of Wang Nandai who disobeyed him.

"Order Wang Nan to return to Chang'an. Let my son Shisanlang take over as the governor of Longyou and the governor of Xiping County."

Li Longji agreed to recall Wang Nandai, but he did not ask Yang Guozhong to recommend a general. Instead, he directly thought of his more favored son Li Lu.

Even though his son had lived in the deep palace for a long time, raised by women, and had never been tested.

Li Xuan's rebellion made Li Longji begin to doubt military generals and he no longer trusted anyone else.

"As you wish! However, I suggest that Puguan Defense Envoy Lü Chongben be sent to Longyou. Lü Chongben is good at military tactics and can serve as the deputy of Prince Ying."

Yang Guozhong gritted his teeth and recommended Lü Chongben to Li Longji. He was really worried about letting Ying Wang Li Yu and Li Xuan compete with each other.

"feasible!"

Li Longji also nodded, as long as the military power was in the hands of his son.

Devastated, Li Longji had no choice but to believe his son.

"Order the local governors and the various Hu peoples in Hexi to fully cooperate with the Helong Army to fight against the thief Li. Anyone who dares to surrender will be executed without mercy!"

Li Longji said harshly.

"According to the order!"

Yang Guozhong felt under great pressure.

There are enemies in the east and west, lurking like wolves and tigers. Chang'an is caught in the middle and is in a precarious situation.

"Your Majesty, General Geshu is now the commander guarding Tongguan. But I remember that he was promoted from a small general to the commander of an army by the thief Li. Would he not be grateful?"

Yang Guozhong seized the opportunity again and prepared to kill Geshu Han.

In the Helong area, Geshu Han repeatedly opposed him and was even more hateful than Wang Nan.

Wang Nandai simply disobeyed his orders, but Geshu Han had other plans.

"Your Majesty, trust people when you employ them, and don't employ people if you don't trust them. So many generals in the world today were promoted by Li Qilang. Even Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi, who commanded the Shuofang Army and the Hedong Army, were once Li Qilang's subordinates. Could it be that they all have rebellious intentions?"

"If I remember correctly, the former Chief Censor of the Right Prime Minister was also recommended by Li Qilang. The country is in urgent need, and we should not implicate many people. Without Geshu Han, who will guard Tongguan?"

Gao Lishi, who couldn't bear to watch it any longer, spoke out to give advice.

He didn't believe that all the generals had betrayed the Tang Dynasty, and that there were still some loyal ministers in the country.

He would rather believe that Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi and Geshu Han were loyal ministers.

Today Yang Guozhong has gotten rid of Wang Nandai, and tomorrow he will get rid of Geshu Han.

When will they take action against Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi?
"Let Feng Shenwei monitor Geshu Han and give him the power to execute first and report later."

Li Longji thought that Gao Lishi's words were from the heart, and he also believed that there were still loyal ministers in the country, but he could not tell who was loyal and who was treacherous.

Therefore, he could only rely on the military supervisor to monitor Geshu Han.

Moreover, the army controlled by Geshu Han was mainly composed of cavalry, and he did not have the support of all the soldiers.

Yang Guozhong had no choice but to leave. With Gao Lishi's help, Li Longji staggered into the inner hall.

"Yuhuan, I trusted an ungrateful person again. Have I ever let Li Qilang down? Why did he start a rebellion?"

Li Longji burst into tears and asked his wife Yuhuan the same question again.

"Saint, the world will be stable..."

Yang Yuhuan wiped away her tears without leaving any trace, then turned around and comforted Li Longji.

Even at this moment, Yang Yuhuan felt pity for the old man in front of her.

Even though there was no true love, she couldn't help but feel touched as he doted on her so much.

No matter how much she liked Li Qilang, if the country was destroyed and Li Longji died, she would have no face to live.

"Yuhuan, I'm scared!"

"How could I have ruined the country that our ancestors passed down to me like this? What did I do wrong?"

In front of Yang Yuhuan, Li Longji spoke his true feelings without any disguise.

Even though he had just arranged with Yang Guozhong to resist the "Li thief", he knew how powerful Li Xuan was and his prestige in Helong.

As he said, he was afraid.

I was afraid that I would wake up and lose everything, and be as miserable as the king of a fallen country.

This time, Li Longji took off his hat on his own initiative.

Almost a head full of white hair.

Two months ago, he didn't have so many gray hairs.

Yang Yuhuan was speechless and tears flowed again.

The mistake was in favoring her!
She was wrong.

If she had seen through An Lushan earlier and mercilessly left her sisters and brothers in Jiannan, could the disaster have been avoided?

If Li Xuan had remained in the position of prime minister and the reform had gone smoothly, would this rebellion have happened?
"I am obviously very powerful! Throughout history, who has ever achieved more than me?"

Li Longji walked to the map hanging in the hall and stroked the territory of the Tang Dynasty inch by inch.

The territory spanning thousands of miles from east to west, north to south, is unprecedented!
He touched Qinghai, Tubo, Huihe, the river, and the Caspian Sea...

The expansion of territory was actually accomplished by one person.

"Will he...come to Chang'an?"

Li Longji couldn't help but burst into tears again.

After all, humans are not plants or trees. Yang Yuhuan came to Li Longji and comforted the helpless Li Longji until he calmed down.

……

Not long after, Yang Guozhong came again to report that Pei Fan, Jiang Du and other Li Xuan's mother-in-law and family members had all fled.

Now we can only hope that the imperial guards can bring Li Shizhi back.

Another day that disturbs Chang'an!
On the eve of the Chinese New Year, Li Xuan rebelled!

A family member of a border general escaped from Chang'an as a hostage. The only explanation was rebellion, with no room for excuses.

Wang Mang was humble before he usurped the throne!
Taking all these factors into consideration, there is reason to suspect that Li Xuan had been planning this for a long time.

People can't help but equate Wang Mang of the past with Li Xuan.

It’s so similar!

However, Li Xuan's achievements crushed Wang Mang's.

The princes and ministers didn't know how to block the Yumen Pass.

The powerful are already trembling.

The man called the Heavenly General by the Hu people was undoubtedly brave and good at fighting.

Perhaps the Yanyun Cavalry was as powerful as the Anxi Cavalry, but An Lushan was never worthy of being compared with Li Xuan.

It was Li Longji who elevated An Lushan to a height that did not belong to him.

Of course, the collapse of Li Xuan's personality led to polarized opinions among officials, gentry, and common people about Li Xuan.

But most of the reviews were negative.

Rebellion is a heinous crime and is a deep-rooted idea of ​​the Chinese nation.

It is natural for a minister to serve his king, just like a son should serve his father.

Li Xuan is no exception!
When the news of Li Xuan's rebellion spread, Li Shizhi's friends quickly distanced themselves from Li Shizhi, fearing that Li Longji, in a rage, would kill them.

Some poets quoted classics and criticized Li Xuan as Wang Mang and Cao Cao; some even went further, scolding Li Xuan as Dong Zhuo.

"The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it's almost dusk."

"Li Qilang, Li Qilang. I believe you can see further!"

On New Year's Day, Wang Wei read out a poem written by Li Xuan when he was appointed prime minister.

He was very emotional!

"En Xiang, I predicted the disaster in the northeast, but I never doubted you! Is this what you were looking for when you were at the end of the street?"

Du Fu, who fled to Chang'an with his family, said this in tears.

Li Xuan's rebellion dealt a heavy blow to Du Fu, who was a Confucian official.

When An Lushan crossed the Yellow River, he knew that the court would lose Luoyang. For the sake of his wife and children, he had to flee with them in advance.

I didn't expect to hear this news while on the road.

"No painting without an imperial decree!"

In a small house in Chang'an market, Wu Daozi closed the door.

In the inner room, there are dozens of paintings hanging on the walls.

If you look closely, you will find that these dozens of paintings are all describing the same thing.

"The King of Tianshui Touring Tianjie".

Wu Daozi painted the 300-mile landscape of the Jialing River in one day, but it took him two years to complete this series of paintings.

In this set of paintings, Wu Daozi arranged the characters in a proper density, alternating and overlapping them on different scrolls, which is full of novelty.

It is lifelike, with the style of Wu Dai Dang Feng and the layout being natural and staggered.

The implication is also extremely profound, with the scene and the mood blending together and the lines flowing smoothly, as if nature and man are one.

When Wu Daozi put down his pen, he heard the news of Li Xuan's rebellion and sighed.

"You have two paths. I don't understand you. It's confusing."

Li Mi, who had returned to Mount Zhongnan, looked towards the west.

He is ready to come out completely!

……

On January 4, in the fifteenth year of Tianbao, hundreds of imperial troops caught up with Liao Zhengrong and Luo Xing's troops.

The eight hundred cavalrymen had already put on their bright armor.

These Ming Guang armors were transported here in the name of offering treasures to saints.

The imperial guards dispatched this time were the Longwu Army, and they had long lost their courage and bloodiness.

After one round of attack by the troops led by Luo Xing and Liao Zhengrong, they were torn to pieces and finally fled in panic.

The governors of various counties wanted to stop the rebellion and had already sent out their county troops.

But Luo Xing ordered a hundred cavalrymen to wear horse armor and become armored cavalry.

How could the county soldiers dare to stop the 800 armored cavalrymen on the official road? In a short period of time, they also had no time to recruit local militia.

We can only let Li Shizhi pass!

In early December, the news that Li Xuan led his troops into Yumen Pass and successively captured Dunhuang, Jinchang, Jiuquan and Zhangye reached Chang'an.

Li Xuan fought and retreated at the same time, and his speed of advancement was no less than that of An Lushan.

They thought that when Li Xuan was still in Anxi, Li Xuan had already entered the Hexi Corridor.

Li Longji dismissed Wang Nande, but Li Longji's son, Li Lu, Prince of Ying, had not yet arrived in Longyou.

There is no natural barrier of Tongguan to the west of Guanzhong.

Xiaoguan is almost abandoned, and even rebuilding it would be ineffective.

Chang'an is a place surrounded by mountains, but the terrain factors make Xiaoguan unable to withstand fierce fighting.

The frantic Li Longji could only issue a military order to Wu Huaiyuan, asking him to stop Li Xuan from advancing eastward at all costs.

All the troops in Longyou must quickly go to the Hexi Corridor to provide support and block Li Xuan in Hexi.

Liangzhou City.

Wu Huaiyuan met three waves of envoys from the imperial court every day to supervise his military operations.

He always hears different orders!

Li Xuan took over four counties like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. How could Wu Huaiyuan not be afraid?

The Chishui Army was once the largest army in the world, but Li Xuan summoned 10,000 cavalrymen to form the Great Wall Army, and now only 21,000 people are left.

Fortunately, the imperial court had previously summoned the Hexi Army to Chang'an, and Wu Huaiyuan also summoned the Dadou Army to Liangzhou City, ready to set off together.

The total force now reaches 28,000.

It is impossible to go out and fight in the field.

Wu Huaiyuan did not dare to surrender either. He depended on Yang Guozhong. Li Xuan was not on good terms with Yang Guozhong and would definitely not let him go.

In the past eight years, many new recruits have appeared in the army. Wu Huaiyuan mainly promoted new recruits and generals, suppressed old soldiers, and tried to control the Chishui Army and the Dadou Army.

Wu Huaiyuan was confident that he could use 30,000 soldiers to defend Liangzhou, the largest city in Helong, and wait for reinforcements.

In the 17th year of Kaiyuan, the Tubo Prime Minister Wei Dazha Gonglu galloped across Hexi and captured cities.

Wang Junqi retreated to the city of Liangzhou and held his ground, forcing Wei Dazha Gonglu to withdraw his troops.

With enough powerful crossbows, thunder stones, rolling logs, and food and fodder, Liangzhou City would be a tough nut to crack.

To this end, Wu Huaiyuan also followed Li Xuan's example and took cattle and sheep from various pastoral supervisors to reward the soldiers before Li Xuan led his army to Liangzhou City.

He also took ten thousand pieces of silk from the Hexi treasury to reward the officers and soldiers and win the hearts of the Hexi army.

So as to avoid surrendering to Li Xuan easily like the Moli, Jiankang and other armies.

Wu Huaiyuan also did not forget Li Xuan’s “inflammatory” pre-war speech.

"My fellow soldiers, Li Xuan has been deeply favored by the emperor, but now he has betrayed that grace and is rebelling. This is heartbreaking."

"Li Xuan is now a traitor and is no longer our general. You are receiving salaries from the court, so you should be loyal to the country."

"As long as Liangzhou City is here, even a hundred thousand cavalrymen will be unable to pass through. When the rebellion comes, you only need to obey my orders..."

Wu Huaiyuan summoned the Chishui Army and the Dadou Army to the parade ground in the city, asking them to give up their illusions and fight to the death. He also promised that once Li Xuan was defeated, everyone would have the opportunity to be granted a title and become a general.

But the soldiers below were whispering and talking among themselves.

The old soldiers were even more disdainful. Marshal Li had been in command of them for many years, and they didn't want to fight to the death.

"I heard that Marshal Li was not a rebel, but was forced to send troops to eliminate Yang Guozhong. Marshal Wu relied on Yang Guozhong to get his high position."

That night, this kind of news continued to circulate in the military camp.

Many soldiers firmly believed that General Li was not rebelling but was trying to eliminate Yang Guozhong, so Wu Huaiyuan defended Liangzhou City to block him.

The armies of Jiankang, Moli, Yumen and others did not betray, but joined the team to attack Yang Guozhong.

An Lushan's rebellion was caused by Yang Guozhong. Only after eliminating Yang Guozhong could we focus all our efforts on suppressing An Lushan's rebellion.

There were also soldiers who had no reason at all but just wanted to follow Li Xuan to achieve great things.

Even if Wu Huai'en rewarded them for several days in a row, he could not buy their hearts.

Prestige is something that cannot be measured by a few pounds of meat or a piece of cloth!

When General Li was fighting against Tubo, Wu Huai'en was just an inconspicuous military envoy among the many military envoys in Hexi.

He is not as good as Liu Zhiru in strategy, not as good as Zhang Shouyu in steadiness, not as good as Li Zhushi in training troops, not as good as Li Fei Shouyu in bravery, not to mention Li Guangchen, who was a top martial arts champion.

The soldiers became angrier the more they thought about it. Why would Wu Huai'en take them to their deaths?
Although there are many new recruits, there are not many vested interests.

Although they did not follow Li Xuan, many of them joined the army because of Li Xuan's reputation. Although Li Xuan was the prime minister at that time, he was still nominally the ambassador of Hexi and Longyou.

The title of General Tian made them awed.

Coupled with the legends in the army, they felt that General Tian was invincible.

Due to various factors, there were many conflicts in Liangzhou City, and things were not as smooth as Wu Huai'en had imagined.

On January 8, Ma Lin and Lai Chen led light cavalry and arrived at the outskirts of Liangzhou City.

Under strict military discipline, no one was harmed wherever they passed through the countryside.

The people knew that this was General Tian's benevolent and righteous army, and they wanted to enter Chang'an to eliminate Yang Guozhong and put down An Lushan's rebellion.

He also did not forget to scold Liangzhou City for not opening the city gates to welcome General Tian!
General Tian improved farm tools, invented water wheels, and had people dig the Chishui River to connect the water systems.

He also introduced crops such as watermelon and cotton. In the hearts of the people of Wuwei, General Tian was a good official.

There are hundreds of papermaking, printing, textile, ironware, porcelain, winemaking and other workshops outside Liangzhou City, all of which indirectly create benefits for the people of Wuwei.

On January 10, Li Xuan led his cavalry to Wuwei. When he passed through the countryside, the people lined the streets to welcome him.

During this period, Li Xuan summoned local county governors and county magistrates to see if they were qualified for local official positions.

In extraordinary times, Li Xuan would temporarily appoint people as long as the mistakes were not serious.

If one has a bad reputation in the county, Li Xuan will be exempted.

Li Xuan also specially summoned the hundred-man and thousand-man commanders of the new Changping soldiers and formally granted them the power to supervise the local area.

Unlike the Jinyiwei, the new soldiers of the Changping Army only have the power of supervision, not the power of investigation or disposal.

Once a local official is found guilty, it will be reported to the higher authorities step by step, and special personnel will investigate and deal with it.

When Li Xuan's cavalry arrived, the leaders of the Hexi Huihe, Hun, Sijie, Tuyuhun and other Hu tribes came to pay a visit to Li Xuan one after another to express their support for Li Xuan's plan to purge the court.

In the fifth year of Tianbao, Li Xuan dealt with the rebellion of Moli Tuyuhun by using both kindness and force, which made the various Hu tribes in Hexi convinced.

Li Xuan led the Hu warriors to conquer Tubo, leaving an indelible impression on them.

After receiving the loyalty of the various Hu tribes in Hexi, Li Xuan immediately ordered the gathering of 15,000 cavalrymen from the various Hu tribes in Hexi to prepare for war.

The four armies of Yumen, Moli, Jiankang and Doulu were also mobilized eastward.

Only the Ningkou Army did not move. In the defense against the Uighur Khanate, the Ningkou Army was the top priority.

On the second day after Li Xuan entered Wuwei, the Baiting guard expressed his support for Li Xuan's plan to purge the court.

Baiting Shouzhuo was also the front line for monitoring the Uighurs, but Li Xuan did not mobilize its troops.

On the 12th, an army of 100,000 marched to the city of Liangzhou.

The sky was dark at this time, but to the Chishui Army and the Dadou Army in Liangzhou City, Li Xuan's power was more terrifying than the dark clouds in the sky.

Wu Huaiyuan ordered his soldiers to guard the four gates strictly.

He personally stood on the west wall to boost morale.

He was afraid that Li Guangchen, the ambassador of the Chishui Army, and Li Zhushi, the military commander, would cause trouble, so he imprisoned them.

But while Wu Huaiyuan was not paying attention, Chishui Army Deputy Ambassador Guo Yingyi released Li Zhushi and Li Guangchen.

Li Guangchen ran to the South Gate in broad daylight and ordered the soldiers to open the city gate.

The soldiers had no will to fight, and even if some of them were disobedient, they were unable to stop the general trend.

Master Li Zhu ran to the north gate, and Guo Yingyi ran to the east gate and did the same thing.

In the tall Liangzhou City, the heavy gate was opened and the suspension bridge was placed over the wide moat, allowing the Anxi Beiting cavalry to rush in so easily.

"Report... Commander Wu. The North Gate, South Gate, and East Gate were suddenly opened, and the drawbridge was lowered. The rebels have entered the city."

Wu Huai'en's confidant saw that the situation was not good and ran to report to Wu Huai'en in panic.

"Who dares to disobey military orders?"

Wu Huai'en shouted angrily. He was so high-spirited and trying to boost morale just now.

They thought the city was tall and the moat was wide, making it impregnable.

The city is gone in the blink of an eye, isn't this a joke?

"Pfft!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a yamen officer rushed over and pierced Wu Huai'en's neck with a spear.

Wu Huai'en's personal guards were unable to react.

Wu Huai'en, with his eyes wide open, fell down with an unwilling look on his face, and died with his eyes open. He never dreamed that he would die at the hands of a young general.

After only a few days in office, Marshal Wu discovered that everything was not as he had imagined.

(End of this chapter)