There were many carriages, some people were riding horses, and some were walking, so the marching speed was slow.

When passing by the Zuozangku, Yang Guozhong rode to Li Longji's chariot and said to him, "Your Majesty, there is still a lot of silk and money in the Zuozangku. We can burn it and not leave it to the thieves Li and An to boost their military supplies and morale."

Li Longji looked at the towering Zuozangku and thought of the past.

At that time, the Zuo Cangku contained Shu brocade from Shu, silk embroidery from Jinling, Jingkou silk from Danyang, crimson embroidery from Kuaiji, various embroidery from Jiangnan, and so on. There were tens of thousands of them.

"The left treasury must not be burned. If the rebels come and don't get the money, they will definitely rob the people of Chang'an. It is better to leave it to them to alleviate the suffering of the people."

Li Longji sighed, feeling sad, and spoke slowly.

This time he really felt guilty and did not burn the silk, money and food just because he hated the thieves Li and An.

Yang Guozhong disagreed in his heart, but he did not disobey Li Longji.

Thousands of chariots and horses continued their journey south.

What Yang Guozhong didn't know was that Crown Prince Li Heng's convoy deliberately stayed at the back.

Before he knew it, his carriage was surrounded by the carriages of several princes and ministers.

In addition, Li Heng's two sons, Prince Guangping Li Chu and Prince Jianning Li Tan, were also beside Li Heng.

Their identity is "personal guards and escorts", and they can command a part of the imperial guards.

This made Li Heng feel supported for the first time, and flames of desire flickered in his eyes.

After walking for a while, Li Longji's troops passed a temporary bridge.

However, not long after Li Longji arrived, Yang Guozhong ordered people to carry firewood and dry grass to the temporary bridge and set it on fire.

Suddenly, thick smoke billowed and flames shone everywhere.

Seeing the flames rising to the sky from the rear, Li Longji asked his trusted eunuch Wang Luoqing, "What's going on with the fireworks from the rear?"

"To prevent pursuit, the Right Prime Minister ordered the bridge to be burned down."

Wang Luoqing asked and then reported.

"The people and officials are all seeking refuge and escaping for their lives. Why should their survival be cut off?"

Li Longji was very unhappy: "Li Shi, take your men to put out the fire on the bridge before leaving."

“Stop burning bridges along the way.”

On the way of escape, Li Longji dreamed of forty years ago, when he advocated frugality, loved the people, and was a capable monarch praised by both the court and the people.

"Luo Qing, you take your men on fast horses and go ahead. Tell the counties along the way to get ready and prepare food for the soldiers."

Li Longji gave further instructions to Wang Luoqing.

"According to the order!"

Wang Luoqing left first with his entourage.

However, when Wang Luoqing arrived in Xianyang County, he found that the county magistrate had escaped.

Some people said that a few days ago, they saw scouts from King Tianshui appear in Fufeng.

In addition, the news of the loss of Tongguan was about to come, and the officials were very scared.

Wang Luoqing was also very worried and reported the news to Li Longji.

"Will our army encounter the rebel vanguard? They have more cavalry than we do."

Yang Guozhong was anxious because Li's cavalry was too fast and he was caught off guard.

The last time I heard the news was in Longxi County, but now I heard the news in Fufeng.

"We can only enter Shu as soon as possible."

Li Longji's face turned pale, and he regretted not leaving Chang'an City earlier.

But until the last moment, which emperor would dare to prepare to flee the capital?

"It is said that the light cavalry sent by the thief Li only has 3,000 to 5,000 people. Our Feilong Imperial Guards are all elite and can protect the saint."

Yang Guozhong used these words to comfort Li Longji, and also to comfort himself.

……

"Your Highness, things are not good. The vanguard troops sent by the traitor Li are likely to reach the Jingzhao area. The troops entering Shu will pass through Fufeng and Chencang, and there is a chance that they will encounter the rebels. We plan to enter Shu from the Chencang Ancient Road, but it is too late to change the route now."

Pei Mian climbed onto Li Heng's horse and spoke to Li Heng.

Going southwest to Jiannan was a good choice, but the rebels came too quickly. If they encountered the rebels, they would all become prisoners of the thief Li.

The humiliation is unbearable!

"What should I do?"

Li Heng asked Pei Mian for strategy.

He was extremely depressed and had planned to kill Yang Guozhong, exterminate the Yang family and then seize power.

Pei Mian was the deputy sent by Li Longji to Li Heng after An Lushan's rebellion.

"With all due respect, Your Highness would be better off fleeing from the Saint in separate ways."

After hesitating for a moment, Pei Mian told Li Heng what he meant.

Even if Li Longji met Li Xuan and was captured.

As long as Li Heng, who is the orthodox one, is safe, there will be a chance for the sun and the moon to bloom again.

Once Li Heng and Li Longji, father and son, were controlled by Li Xuan, the big clan would sooner or later be replaced by the small clan.

The literati could not accept the mixed Hu An Lushan.

But it is possible to accept Li Xuan, a descendant of Taizong.

"Where can we go?"

Li Heng frowned. He didn't want to go to Jiannan either. Now that Li Longji's troops were around, he dared not follow Li Longji.

"If you go to Lingwu County in Shuofang, the governor of Shuofang, Du Hongjian, will definitely welcome you. In Shuofang, there are Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi who are about to return. Your Highness is in the right position, so they have no reason not to support you."

Pei Mian advised Li Heng to leave decisively for Lingwu.

"I don't have many followers, and going to Lingwu County would be a threat!"

Li Heng was hesitant.

He was afraid of Li Xuan's troops and worried about the danger of going north.

He didn't dare to go to Jiannan, but he didn't want to be controlled by Li Longji.

"Father, it is best to take this opportunity to head north to Lingwu. Once we encounter thief Li, it will be too late."

"The world is in turmoil, and the government and the people are looking to father. We must make a prompt decision."

Seeing that Li Heng was hesitant, Pei Mian called Prince of Guangping Li Chu and Prince of Jianning Li Tan to the carriage and asked them to persuade him together.

"Okay! Let's leave tonight!"

After listening to his son's advice, Li Heng decided to go to Lingwu County to give it a try.

On the road to the southwest, the longer you stay, the more danger you will face.

However, Li Heng still asked Li Jingzhong to say hello to Chen Xuanli.

Chen Xuanli was determined to eliminate Yang Guozhong. As long as Chen Xuanli did not send cavalry to pursue his troops, he could leave smoothly.

"I didn't know Your Highness was leaving!"

When Chen Xuanli learned that Li Heng was leaving the team, he pretended not to know and answered Li Jingzhong.

He was loyal to Li Longji.

Killing Yang Guozhong and eradicating the Yang family was also for Li Longji.

Since Li Longji couldn't do it, let him do it.

On the southwest road, they might encounter Li Xuan's light cavalry at any time. He wanted the prince to leave the team and keep the fire.

So Chen Xuanli deliberately ordered the Longwu Army around Li Heng to leave.

Only the 400 imperial guards led by Prince of Guangping Li Chu and Prince of Jianning Li Tan were near Li Heng's troops.

Even though they were already far behind, no one reminded Li Longji.

They started fleeing before dawn and continued until the sun was at its highest point. Everyone who fled south felt hungry, including Li Longji.

When they arrived at Wangxian Palace in Xianyang County, Li Longji asked Wang Luoqing to find something to eat.

But Wang Luoqing was afraid that Li Xuan's cavalry would arrive, so he ran away and no longer served Li Longji.

Li Longji could only send other eunuchs to try to summon some officials and common people to welcome him.

But no one was willing to come and greet Li Longji.

When people leave, the tea gets cold, even the emperor is not to blame.

Yang Guozhong had no choice but to go to a farmer's house and buy a Hu pancake. In order to avoid being discovered by others, he put the Hu pancake in his sleeve and secretly presented it to Li Longji.

As he ate the Hu Bing bit by bit, Li Longji was filled with mixed emotions.

He offered half to Yang Yuhuan, but she declined, saying she was not hungry.

The group continued to march until dusk, and the entire team was very tired.

When passing by a village, the people finally learned that the saint had fled here to escape disaster, and they came to pay their respects, crying.

"Do you have any food at home? I don't care whether it's fine or coarse, but please bring it over."

As an emperor, the first thing he did when he saw the people was to ask for food.

When the people saw that the emperor had fallen into such a state, they took out their remaining food from their homes, prepared food and drink, and offered coarse rice and drink to the emperor and his sons and grandchildren.

The coarse rice was mixed with wheat grains and beans. Normally, the noble imperial grandchildren would not even look at it, but at this moment, they ignored their status, grabbed it with their bare hands and ate it voraciously.

After eating up all the surplus food donated by the people, they still complained that they were not full.

Countless Flying Dragon Guards and palace servants were still hungry.

When Li Longji saw this scene, he burst into tears again.

He spoke his true feelings to the people like an ordinary old man.

The villagers praised Li Xuan for "restoring the spirit of Kaiyuan" when he was prime minister, and said "If the young prime minister had always been prime minister, this day would not have come."

Li Longji was not angry at all.

He also regretted it very much, but it was too late now.

Worried about not being able to enter Jiannan in time, the team set off again after a short rest.

In the middle of the night, the team arrived at Jincheng County (now Xingping County). The county magistrate here had also fled. Fortunately, there was some food in the Jincheng County granary, so the imperial guards could barely eat half their fill.

That night, Li Heng and his trusted officials and relatives, under the cover of 400 imperial guards, parted ways with Li Longji and headed north to Lingwu County.

Along the way, he met many officials from Chang'an, all of whom were willing to follow Li Heng to Lingwu.

When they reached the earth slope north of Jincheng County, Li Heng stopped the car under the starry night and looked in the direction of Li Longji.

His eighteen years as a crown prince were like walking on thin ice, standing on the edge of an abyss.

At this moment, he opened his arms and felt unprecedented freedom.

Although the situation was corrupt and there were wolves in the east and tigers in the west, Li Heng, who was freed from the shackles, had the ambition to fly as high as the sky and as free as a bird.

He believes that he can turn the tide!

Li Heng's son Li Chu was also helping his father plan how to defeat the thieves Li and An and re-establish a prosperous era.

……

Among the people fleeing south, Li Longji and Yang Guifei were able to stay in the post station in Jincheng County, and the princes and nobles had carriages to rest.

Most of the soldiers and palace maids could only sleep with their clothes on, leaning against each other's bodies, to keep each other warm.

It had just rained, the ground was wet, and many people were suffering from cold.

It is too tiring for a pampered person to run around all day while starving.

No one cared that Li Heng had left.

"What did you say? The prince left the team last night, why didn't you stop him?"

Early in the morning, after Li Longji received Chen Xuanli's report, he blamed him.

Even at this time, Li Longji still had a desire to control Li Heng.

"The Crown Prince said that he would go to Heshuo to gather troops and retake Chang'an. He will then personally go to Shu to welcome the Saint back to the capital. I saw that the Saint finally fell asleep last night, and I couldn't bear to disturb him."

Chen Xuanli evaded Li Longji.

Li Longji hardly slept in the two nights before fleeing Chang'an.

After a day of bumpy ride, Li Longji forced his body into sleep, and as soon as he arrived at the post station, he fell asleep.

"Forget it, let him go! It's better to separate. The thief Li is coming, and it won't be easy to go to Shu."

Li Longji and his ministers remained silent, knowing that the situation was irreversible.

He could naturally see that Chen Xuanli was protecting the prince.

He couldn't say anything to Chen Xuanli, who held the military power.

The only worry is that Li Heng will do something out of line and get out of his control.

After giving the order, Li Longji ordered to continue marching.

Soon after, many officials in the team secretly left, some went directly north to look for Li Heng, and some disappeared.

The scouts sent out by Li Longji never returned.

The imperial guards were all from Jingzhao, and they were not willing to go to Shu.

As a result, Li Longji could only follow the route and received less and less information.

……

Chang'an City, time goes back to the previous day.

On the ninth day of April, Li Longji asked the eunuch to issue an order to hold court on the tenth day.

The Daming Palace is located on Longshouyuan on the northeast side of Chang'an City, and there is an alley connecting it to Chang'an.

But in fact, Chang'an had no way of knowing what happened in the Daming Palace.

After sunset, the gates of Chang'an closed and opened in the early morning.

The evening drum sounds, and all the gates are closed.

Before daybreak, all the civil and military officials in Chang'an City got up to attend court.

At the gate of Xingqing Palace, you can still hear the sound of dripping water from a clepsydra.

The guards of honor stood in neat rows, waiting for the officials to perform the court ceremony.

"Why didn't the Prime Minister attend the court ceremony today?"

After attending the court ceremony and arriving at Xingqing Hall, Fang Guan frowned and said.

He felt something was wrong today.

Not only Yang Guozhong and Chen Xilie, but also some favored princes and ministers did not come.

"What's going on?" Zhang Yi was also pacing back and forth in the hall. He was Li Longji's son-in-law, but he didn't hear any news and ran to attend the court meeting foolishly.

"The time has come, why haven't you come to court yet?"

Cui Guangyuan, the newly appointed Jingzhao Yin and Xijing Liebu, stood up from his seat.

Li Longji said that he was going to lead the army in person and gave him the post of governor of Xijing.

Cui Guangyuan is still in a daze. He knows himself well and knows that he is not a favorite, but he was given the position to stay behind.

"Everyone, wait a little longer!"

Pei Zunqing had a bad feeling.

"I heard that Li Xuan's cavalry has already reached the Jingzhao area."

"I know this!"

"Also, Tongguan was lost."

"really?"

There were also ministers whispering in the court.

More and more ministers are becoming restless.

"Where is the Saint?"

Another half hour later, Zhang Jun caught the eminent official and asked him.

"Saint...went to Daming Palace yesterday and never came back."

The master of ceremonies said timidly.

A group of civil and military officials left Xingqing Palace and headed towards Daming Palace.

When they opened the gate of Daming Palace, countless palace servants fled in a hurry, and the inner and outer palaces were in chaos.

Screams and shouts rang out one after another.

"Where is the Saint?"

Fang Guan grabbed a eunuch and asked.

"We didn't know that when we woke up, our superiors were gone."

The eunuch shook his head like a rattle.

The entire Daming Palace wants to know where the saint is?

"I know. It is said that Tongguan was lost and the saint led the princes and princesses to Jiannan at dawn."

The truth could not be hidden, and finally an eunuch learned where Li Longji was going.

"If the emperor leaves the capital, will the country perish?"

Suddenly, all the civil and military officials who learned the news burst into tears.

What was even more disheartening was that the saint not only did not call them when he fled, but also stood them up under the guise of a court meeting.

By noon, the entire Chang'an city was filled with news that Tongguan had been breached by the rebels.

Along with this came the news that the saint had escaped from Chang'an.

From kings and nobles to ordinary people, it felt like the sky was falling.

The imperial court had always been spreading the word that An Lushan's army was committing all kinds of atrocities, including rape and looting, and that they massacred and plundered almost every city they entered.

Tongguan was breached and Chang'an faced the rebel army head-on.

People were extremely disappointed with Li Longji's escape.

I think this is no longer the emperor's job.

Can he still be called a saint if he fled the capital and abandoned his ministers and people?
There were even knights who rode on horseback to the west to find King Tianshui and invite him to Chang'an.

Even though Li Xuan was portrayed as a traitor, the people still felt that Li Xuan could save Chang'an and Guanzhong.

Li Xuan's reform failed, which made people sympathize with him. Many people think that Li Xuan's attempt to purge the emperor was because of this.

More people will believe in Li Xuan’s character!
But there were also princes, nobles and common people who fled for their lives because they were afraid that An Lushan would get there first.

There were crowds of people around Chang'an.

More people fled westward, and some fled southward, hoping to escape to Mount Zhongnan to avoid disaster.

There were also scoundrels and idlers who scrambled to enter the imperial palace and the residences of princes and nobles to steal gold, silver and treasures.

The palace, which was usually sacred and solemn, was actually entered by common people riding donkeys.

Once laws and rules are lost, countless people will release the beasts in their hearts and act according to their own desires.

They set fire to the Zuozang warehouse.

Although Jingzhao Yin Cui Guangyuan was dissatisfied, he still brought people to put out the fire. He also recruited officials to act as prefectural and county governors to guard the place respectively.

Cui Guangyuan killed more than a dozen hooligans before the situation in Chang'an stabilized.

However, many ministers followed Li Longji's carriage all the way and never left him.

Among them were Fang Guan and the brothers Zhang Jun and Zhang Yi.

When they arrived at a mountain temple dozens of miles outside Chang'an City, the brothers Zhang Jun and Zhang Yi refused to continue pursuing Li Longji because their families were in Chang'an.

Only Fang Guan went there.

"A saint is running away in a panic. Is this a joke? Who will remember that the Kaiyuan Era was created by him?"

In Chang'an Jingzhao Prefecture, Cui Guangyuan, who had been busy all day and night without sleeping, spoke rudely to Li Longji as soon as he returned home.

Cui Guangyuan felt very uncomfortable with the feeling of being fooled by the monarch.

He was from the third branch of the Cui family of Boling. Because his grandfather had served as a provincial governor and his father was a fifth-rank official, he was able to enter the officialdom through the family background.

He has always been brave and decisive, not fussy about details, and acts on impulse. He has a friendship with Yang Guozhong.

Li Longji promoted him from a Shao Yin to a Dayin, and made him a governor, which clearly showed that he hated him.

"Sir, if Li Xuan and An Lushan come to Chang'an, will we defend it and die for our country?"

Cui Guangyuan’s son Cui Kai said weakly.

Now the two bandits are fighting each other, and it depends on who can reach Chang'an first.

"Zhang Jieran died in battle, delaying the rebels for a day. What's the point of me dying on the city wall? I plan to surrender the city to the rebels!"

Cui Guangyuan looked at Cui Kai with his clear black and white eyes.

He thought he had been tricked and didn't want to be buried with Chang'an.

"There are rebels on both the east and west sides. Which side do you want to surrender the city to?"

Cui Kai asked, he respected his father's choice.

Li Longji is no longer fit to be a ruler.

"Erlang, which side do you think can achieve great things?" Cui Guangyuan asked back.

"Although Li Qilang fought against powerful families when he was appointed prime minister, his bravery and leadership ability are unparalleled. I am afraid no one can defeat his Western Region Iron Cavalry and Helong elite soldiers. An Lushan is just a barbarian. It is said that he burned, killed and looted along the way. He was unpopular and the destiny was not with him."

Cui Kai replied.

Although many princes and ministers hated Li Xuan, it is undeniable that Li Xuan was powerful.

Now Li Longji has escaped and lost the support of the people.

Li Xuan is more like a heroic leader who can accomplish great things.

"My father thinks so too. Erlang went west to look for Li Xuan. I sincerely offer Chang'an City to him. I hope he will send troops here soon."

Cui Guangyuan sent his son Cui Kai to welcome Li Xuan to Chang'an.

In history, Cui Guangyuan chose An Lushan because he had no other choice.

"As you command, sir!"

Cui Kai bowed.

Not long after, he rode out of the city on horseback carrying Cui Guangyuan's handwritten letter.

"Chang'an is now a city of scattered people, and the chaos remains. Send people to spread the word to the people, saying that the King of Tianshui will soon take over Chang'an. Even if the King of Tianshui rebels, benevolence and righteousness will still exist. Once the people know this, the city will be stabilized temporarily."

Cui Guangyuan went to the yamen again and gave instructions to his subordinates.

The scene of the young husband entering the city is still vivid in my mind.

……

Dongfufeng (now Fufeng County).

Fufeng has an undulating terrain with alternating ridges and valleys, deep gullies and steep slopes.

But as the capital city, the official roads were unusually wide and solid.

"Rumble..."

At this moment, thousands of horses were galloping across the field, raising clouds of dust, and countless flowers and plants were trampled by their hooves.

People from the surrounding villages avoided it and dared not make any noise.

This was the "Li thief" rebel army promoted by the imperial court.

Although the imperial court said that Li the thief was similar to An the thief, both violent and cruel.

But Li's rebel army only took official roads and fields and did not set foot on farmland.

Wherever they went, they did not harm anyone. At most, when they were stationed in counties and towns, they bought some food.

The young husband's slogan for starting an army was "clear out the imperial court and put down the rebellion."

The one who was purged was Yang Guozhong, and the one who was suppressed was An Lushan.

In view of the poor performance of the imperial court, Li Longji abandoned Chang'an, causing many people to place their hopes on the young prime minister.

The military discipline along the way puts the people at ease.

In the Jingzhao area, when the people learned that Li Xuan had sent troops, except for officials and powerful people, basically no one fled because of Li Xuan's arrival.

They not only believed in Li Xuan, but also believed that Li Xuan's troops could defeat An Lushan's rebels.

"Reporting to General Li, we have captured a guard from Chang'an."

In front of a jungle, the scout came back with a soldier from the Flying Dragon Imperial Guard.

"Bring him up!"

Li Xuan waved his hand, and a soldier of the imperial guards who was not wearing a helmet was brought in front of Li Xuan.

After half a month of raids, they finally reached Fufeng.

Although Li Xuan's light cavalry was powerful, they did not make a big fuss.

There were only ordinary battle flags in the army, but no Li Xuan’s general flag.

Li Xuan did not show up in any of the counties he passed through, making people think that the 5,000 light cavalry were led by Che Shen Sai, not Li Xuan himself.

The two meanings are completely different.

"Where is the Saint now?"

Li Xuan asked the Flying Dragon Guard calmly.

As early as the day before yesterday, Li Xuan's scouts arrived in Fufeng first.

Last night, he heard from the spies who stayed in Chang'an that Tongguan had fallen and Li Longji had escaped from Chang'an.

This surprised Li Xuan a lot!

On the way here, he was already prepared to pursue Li Longji and even besiege Chang'an.

Therefore, Li Xuan did not rest last night and led the Tiance Guards all the way to Fufeng.

Li Longji took the Chencang Road, which was also the most common road into Sichuan. There were many counties and passes on this road, so supplies could be obtained along the way.

If we take the other roads into Sichuan, it would not be suitable for a large group to march forward without preparing food and supplies.

Li Longji fled south in a hurry and was only concerned with making arrangements, without even preparing a day's worth of food and fodder.

Therefore, Fufeng was the only way for Li Longji to pass through, and it was too late for Li Longji to take a detour.

"Replying to King Tianshui...the saint is in Jincheng County."

The Flying Dragon Imperial Guard soldier answered hesitantly.

He had met Li Xuan and was shocked that the "thief Li" had come in person with his troops.

Look at the rebel knights. Without exception, they stood on their horses with their backs straight, with bows and arrows hanging on the sides of their horses, swords on their backs, and spare horses being led by reins.

They are everywhere in the mountains and plains.

It is in stark contrast to the lax momentum of the Flying Dragon Imperial Guards.

If the two armies meet, the Flying Dragon Guards will be vulnerable.

"Are Concubine Yang, Yang Guozhong, the Five Yangs, the Crown Prince, etc. here?"

Li Xuan asked again.

"Yes, they all followed the saint southward."

The Flying Dragon Imperial Guards had already started their long-distance exploration last night and were unaware that the Crown Prince had already headed north, so they nodded in response.

"Gather, clear out the emperor's entourage, kill Yang Guozhong, and save the saint!"

Li Xuan ordered the troops to change vehicles and attack.

"Woooo..."

The sound of the horn conveyed the military order. After a sleepless night, the knights were in high spirits.

They were very excited when they heard that the purge of the imperial court was about to begin.

"Rumble..."

More scouts were sent to explore the way ahead. Five thousand cavalrymen, led by Li Xuan, galloped at a fast pace, raising a cloud of dust...

……

On April 11, after sunset, Li Longji was on another bumpy ride and asked Gao Lishi, "Can we find a place to rest before dusk? Is there a post station ahead?"

"Reporting to the Saint, there is Mawei Posthouse ahead!"

After Gao Lishi asked, he replied to Li Longji: "This is a big post station, and we can arrive there in the evening."

The Tang Dynasty post stations were divided into seven grades, with Mawei Post being the highest grade. It was built on a major transportation route, had fifty horses, as well as a posthouse, a posthouse, and so on.

"Give orders to stop at Mawei Posthouse to rest and find food for the imperial guards."

Seeing that Madam Yuhuan looked pale, Li Longji stopped early. There was no need to stay there until late at night.

"According to the order!"

Gao Lishi received the order to convey the message to the front army...

(End of this chapter)