"Mr. Gao can stay, but the imperial concubine cannot!"

Li Xuan weighed the pros and cons and believed that Gao Lishi was not capable of helping Li Longji.

This is also an acknowledgement of Gao Lishi's kindness.

He planned to place Li Longji in the Ganlu Hall of the Taiji Palace.

Rather than Xingqing Palace.

During the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, the Taiji Palace was far away from the central government, especially in the late reign of Emperor Li Longji, when no sacrificial ceremonies were held in the Taiji Palace for many years.

Just as Gao Lishi thought, Li Xuan would not let any general or minister get close to Li Longji.

Although this kind of confinement may lead to gossip, it is also the safest.

"What? What did you say?"

Li Longji looked up in shock.

No matter how high-sounding Li Xuan's words are, it cannot change the fact that he is plotting to seize power.

When the fangs were bared, when Li Xuan led the rebels to Mawei Station, he was just like Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao, using the emperor to control the princes.

People often curse the powerful ministers who hold the emperor hostage to control the princes, but it is undeniable that holding the sacred artifact is orthodoxy.

Li Longji wanted to restore his dignity, but he knew that his life was in the hands of Li Xuan.

He has already lost a lot, so would he lose Madam Yuhuan as well?
Yang Yuhuan was sent back to her parents' home twice, and Li Longji lost his appetite and could not sleep at night.

He didn't want to taste that feeling again.

"Yang Guozhong played tricks and harmed the people. Lady Guoguo, Lady Hanguo, Yang Jian, and Yang Qi were corrupt and disrupted the government, angering the heavens and the people. All the wealth and honor came from the imperial concubine. Even if the imperial concubine did nothing wrong, she cannot escape the blame. The imperial concubine should return to Taizhen Temple."

Li Xuan said solemnly.

He saw the pitiful look of Yang Yuhuan in the dragon chariot.

The moment when she lowered her eyes and then raised them always amazed Li Xuan, and he would never forget it.

But he was Li Xuan, the king of the world, and did not dare to have any thoughts about Yang Yuhuan.

The Taoist name Taizhen was the best destination for Yang Yuhuan. She, who was originally accused of being a beauty who brought disaster to the country and the people, would be able to save her life because of this.

It can be considered that Li Xuan repaid Yang Yuhuan's favor.

Although Taizhen Temple was not located in Xingqing Palace, it was only separated from it by a long corridor.

When Yang Yuhuan was still the Taoist priest Taizhen, no one except Li Longji could walk on this corridor.

But now Li Longji has handed over the Taoist temples in Xingqing Palace to his daughter Li Chongniang.

In the dark dragon chariot, Yang Yuhuan looked at Li Xuan with her bright eyes.

Li Xuan seemed to be reading out her sins, which made her heart ache.

But she was also relieved. It was nothing more than flowers blooming and falling, and from then on, she would live a life of seclusion and meditation.

When she was called "Tai Zhen", she was unwilling to be lonely. Now she may devote herself to Taoism and atone for the mistakes made by Yang and herself.

She now wondered how Li Xuan would deal with her siblings.

Those deep eyes, the figure bathed in moonlight, her thoughts, were all a mistake in the end.

"You can't do this! Qilang, please don't separate Yuhuan and me because we are king and subject."

Facing Li Xuan's dominance, Li Longji did not say anything soft. But when it came to Yang Yuhuan, Li Longji grabbed Li Xuan's hand and called him "Qilang" as before.

"If the Imperial Concubine is not punished, the world will be disappointed, and the rebellion will be affected and difficult to quell."

Li Xuan said in a tone that brooked no rebuttal.

"Qilang, are you trying to kill me?"

Li Longji was so angry that he almost jumped off the dragon chariot. He slammed the frame of the chariot as if he was about to lose his mind.

"I am also considering the Saint! Yang must be eliminated, and the Imperial Concubine should be Taizhen. Mount Zhongnan can be moved, but this matter cannot be changed."

Li Xuan was not worried at all that Li Longji would become depressed.

For the sake of his own kingdom and his own life, he would go against his conscience and execute Yang Yuhuan.

In the historical incident of Maweiyi, the beauty under the pear tree in the Buddhist temple faded away. After shedding tears, Li Longji continued his journey south in the heavy rain.

This is what is called separation of life and death.

"you……"

Li Longji pointed at Li Xuan, angry and heartbroken. He hated Li Xuan as a traitor.

He wished he could kill Li Xuan immediately for forcibly separating him and Yang Yuhuan.

But this is not Chang'an. The Feilong Imperial Guards surrendered and the border troops no longer listened to him.

What could he do?

"I am willing to go to Taizhen Temple to atone for Yang's sins."

Finally, Yang Yuhuan stood up from the dragon chariot and walked out.

When she was about to get off the car, she was grabbed by Li Longji.

"Saint, thank you for your favor. It is my fault that the country is in this state. Daji and Baosi are not as guilty as I am. Please take care, Saint!"

Yang Yuhuan pulled Li Longji's hand away and said with tears in her eyes.

A thousand-mile dam can be breached by a single ant hole. Yang Guozhong and the Five Yangs were destroying the foundation of the Tang Dynasty, but by the time she realized it, it was already too late.

Once you die, there is no redemption.

From now on I will stay in Taizhen Temple and not take a single step out.

"Jade Ring..."

Watching Yang Yuhuan get off the carriage, Li Longji called out softly.

He was afraid that Li Xuan would suddenly turn against him, and he did not have the courage to force Yang Yuhuan to stay.

"Take the imperial concubine to the auxiliary building of Mawei Posthouse to rest! No one is allowed to approach without permission!"

Li Xuan instructed his personal guards.

"As ordered!"

"My Lady, please..."

More than a dozen Tiance Guards escorted Yang Yuhuan away.

"Bang bang bang!"

Li Longji looked at Yang Yuhuan's back in the night and patted the dragon chariot, feeling desperate and helpless.

Gao Lishi also looked sad.

He understood that Li Xuan wanted to deal with Yang and Yang Guozhong, and the saint had to stay away from Yang Yuhuan.

Finally, after walking dozens of steps, Yang Yuhuan stopped and turned back, looking in the direction of Li Longji and Li Xuan.

Even though she is already 38 years old, she is still very beautiful, with a mature and charming demeanor and a variety of styles.

But the traces of tears in those eyes and the furrowed brows are heartbreaking.

The moment I turned around, tears fell to the ground.

Whose shadow is it reflecting?
Li Longji was even more sad, and he shouted in the dark: "I am really blind!"

"Send the saint to the main building to rest!"

Li Xuan knew that Li Longji was scolding him, but he remained indifferent and ordered his personal guards to drive Li Longji's dragon chariot and take it back to the main building.

"Gao Weng, you also go with the Saint."

Li Xuan personally helped Gao Lishi onto the dragon chariot and asked him to accompany Li Longji.

This made Gao Lishi feel a lot!
He believed that Li Xuan had the opportunity to become a loyal minister like Zhuge Liang, but unfortunately he went astray.

Li Longji, sitting on the dragon chariot, kept cursing Li Xuan as an ungrateful bastard.

But Li Xuan had already left.

Luo Xing, who was with fifty personal guards beside Li Longji's dragon chariot, also pretended not to hear.

"Reporting to General Li, the Crown Prince left the Saint's team entering Shu last night and headed north alone with his trusted family members."

Li Xuan had just dealt with Li Longji's affairs, and his subordinate Li Shu hurriedly reported to Li Xuan.

"The prince actually went north last night?"

Li Xuan frowned. It seemed that his appearance had a very sensitive effect on Li Heng, causing him to deviate from the historical trajectory.

Going north, most people go north to Lingwu County, where there are two troublemakers, Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi.

The Shuofang Army is a powerful force in the world, and Lingwu is the place where it can be used.

Li Heng took a fancy to the terrain of Lingwu County!

"The prince cannot afford to fail. Send General Che to select a thousand light cavalrymen. After resting tonight, they will pursue the prince early tomorrow morning. Now that I have returned, the prince does not need to go north."

Li Xuan issued a military order.

After he captured Chang'an, he planned to force Li Longji to abdicate and support Li Heng to succeed him.

Now Li Heng is heading north to Lingwu. After learning that Li Longji has been arrested by him, he will definitely "proclaim himself emperor in Lingwu" as happened in history.

The key point is that all the scholars and common people in the world recognized Li Heng as the legitimate emperor. There was no need for the imperial seal or the edict of succession. All they needed to do was to respect Li Longji as the emperor emeritus.

By then, Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi and other Shuofang and Hedong generals will move closer to Li Heng, and Li Xuan will have another powerful enemy.

We must bring Li Heng back before he becomes emperor and stabilizes the situation in Lingwu.

"Take my letter and go to inform Ashina Fuwen, the military envoy of Feng'an, overnight."

Li Xuan prepared to write a letter to see if Ashina Fuwen was still in Feng'an Army.

If he is there, let him send troops to intercept Li Heng.

Prevent Li Heng from reaching Lingwu smoothly.

Ashina Fuwen was Li Xuan's earliest subordinate, and Li Xuan believed that he would not betray him.

Unlike the Hu generals like Li Guangbi and An Sishun, Li Guangbi and An Sishun were loyal to the country and had their own beliefs. They would not frown even if they were sentenced to death.

Ashina Fuwen admired brave men. He once fought a bloody battle with Li Xuan on Gaopo, sharing life and death with him. He was also promoted by Li Xuan and was Li Xuan's closest subordinate in the Shuofang Army.

Not long after, several personal guards left Mawei Posthouse on horseback, carrying Li Xuan's letter.

The moon gradually moved towards the center of the sky.

Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan were placed separately, not far from each other, and it was difficult for them to see each other again.

Neither of them could sleep tonight.

Around the entire Mawei Posthouse, the Tiance Guards’ light cavalry pursuit and interception had come to an end.

No matter east, south, west or north, all the princes, ministers, princes and grandchildren who tried to escape were intercepted and stopped.

Even some palace maids and eunuchs were not immune.

They were placed in different areas of Mawei Station, awaiting Li Xuan's disposal.

At this time, they were all wondering how Li Xuan would treat Li Longji?
Will there be an accidental regicide?
The heaven and earth are splitting apart, the mountains and rivers are shaking, the wind and rain are blowing, where is the future of the Tang Dynasty?
Among the important figures of the Yang family, Madam Han Guo, Yang Jian and Yang Qi were the first to be captured.

Lady Guo got off the carriage and took her son Pei Hui to hide behind the stone wall near Mawei Posthouse.

She wanted to hide from the pursuers and then find a chance to escape.

But how could she do so? Under the tight control of the law, she was soon blocked by Zhang Xiaojing and his men.

Amid Lady Guo's unreasonable scolding, she was tied up and thrown into a carriage.

Lady Guoguo and the other four Yangs and their families, Yang Guozhong's wife Pei Rou, and the eldest son Yang Xuan, the youngest son Yang Xi, and even Yang Jian, the current Secretary-General, who was not as arrogant as the Five Yangs, and Yang, who was a slightly distant relative, were all arrested.

Most of the Yang family members married into the royal family.

For example, Lady Guoguo's son Pei Hui married Crown Prince Li Heng's daughter Princess Yanguang.

Yang Guozhong's eldest son, Yang Xuan, married Princess Yanhe, and his youngest son, Yang Xun, married Princess Wanchun.

Yang Yuhuan's cousin Yang Jian married Princess Chengrong.

Originally, Yang Qi also wanted to marry Princess Taihua, but Princess Taihua had already died of illness.

Li Xuan ordered that princesses and princesses who were related to Yang be imprisoned separately.

In order to win over the hearts of the Longwu Army and the Feilong Imperial Guards and make them work for him, Li Xuan ordered the soldiers to distribute some of the beef jerky they carried to them so that they would not go hungry before arriving in Chang'an.

The Longwu Army and Feilong Imperial Guards, who were almost starving, were very grateful for Li Xuan's reward of dried meat. They all thanked Li Xuan and expressed their willingness to follow Li Xuan in clearing out the evil emperor's side.

Li Xuan handed over the more than 2,000 Flying Dragon Imperial Guards and Longwu Army to the command of Zhang Xiaojing.

There is no need to become his elite force, as long as we can help him manage logistics before his main force arrives in Chang'an.

The next day, early in the morning.

The area around Mawei Station was still in a mess, and the morning dew had not yet disappeared, soaking the clothes of countless palace maids, princes and ministers.

That night, only the Tiance Guards who took turns to rest could sleep well.

In order to prevent these people from starving to death, Li Xuan ordered everyone to cook the corn they brought with them.

After eating, Li Xuan ordered his troops to set off back to Chang'an.

He had learned from his scouts that there was no sign of An Lushan's rebels around Chang'an. Taking advantage of the chaos and emptiness in Chang'an, he could easily capture Chang'an.

In history, after An Lushan captured Chang'an, he did not immediately order Cui Qianyou to advance westward out of caution.

Now, An Lushan's concern is Li Xuan.

"General Li, Yang Guozhong has refused to eat corn or drink water, and is clamoring to see you!"

While the princes, ministers and palace maids were eating, the personal guard reported to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan nodded and went to see Yang Guozhong with his personal guards.

To the west of Mawei Posthouse, Yang Guozhong, dressed in an official robe, was sitting on the ground. His body was covered in mud. His hat was nowhere to be found. His face was pale and he sat on the ground in a completely ungraceful manner.

"Yang Guozhong!"

Li Xuan walked majestically in front of Yang Guozhong.

Yang Guozhong suddenly looked up and met Li Xuan's eyes.

In the fourth year of Tianbao, when he came to Chang'an, he saw the ceremonial guard pouring out of the Mingde Gate. He knew that the man in front of him was the saint's favorite, extremely noble, and vowed to surpass him.

In the sixth year of Tianbao, he attached himself to Li Xuan, and Li Xuan seemed to be willing to help him. His status rose steadily, but at the same time he was very afraid of Li Xuan in his heart.

In the ninth year of Tianbao, Li Xuan was dismissed from his post, and he finally replaced Li Xuan and became the highest official in the country. However, he knew how terrible Li Xuan was, and wanted to find an opportunity to get rid of him, but it was extremely difficult to get rid of him.

Now it is the fifteenth year of Tianbao, and he meets Li Xuan again. He is in a very miserable state, and Li Xuan stands in front of him under the banner of eradicating him.

Compared with Li Longji, Yang Guozhong is more self-aware.

When he was appointed as prime minister, he said: I come from a humble family, but now I have come to this place through the imperial palace. I don’t know where my fate lies, but I know that I will never be able to achieve a great reputation, so I might as well just enjoy the happiness.

He knew that he had a bad reputation, so he indulged himself in pleasure without caring about the lives of ordinary people.

But when he really faced death, Yang Guozhong became afraid.

He had not yet enjoyed enough wealth and glory, and did not want war to come upon him.

When Yang Guozhong met Li Xuan, he wanted to live a miserable life.

"I am Yang Zhao, the humble man, and I am here to meet the King of Tianshui!"

Yang Guozhong immediately knelt on the ground, calling himself a humble man regardless of his status, and bowed to Li Xuan.

Yang Zhao, a name unfamiliar to Yang Guozhong, was the first half of Yang Guozhong's life of flattery and advancement.

He called himself Yang Zhao, which also meant that when he was called Yang Zhao, he was under the command of Li Xuan.

"I'd better call you Yang Guozhong!"

Li Xuan didn't buy Yang Guozhong's account.

"Lord Tianshui, there are many of my subordinates and confidants in Jiannan Road. As long as I give the order, they will surrender to you and fully support you in controlling the government!"

Yang Guozhong knew that Li Xuan didn't like to be long-winded, so he directly told him his usefulness.

As long as he was valuable, he believed that Li Xuan would not kill him.

Even if Li Xuan holds power today, the counties and prefectures will still be dissatisfied and will pretend to obey but actually disobey, not to mention the powerful enemy An Lushan.

If one of them surrenders, it will be Jiannan Road, which can go eastward to threaten many counties.

"Jiannan Dao will submit to the Tang Dynasty sooner or later, but I still want to borrow something from you."

Li Xuan said with a serious expression.

"What does Tianshui King want to borrow?"

Yang Guozhong didn't understand.

"I'll lend you my head."

Li Xuan's eyes widened.

Heaven has reincarnation, who will Heaven forgive?
Just because Li Xuan doesn't kill Yang Guozhong, Lady Guoguo and others now doesn't mean he will let them go.

He raised his army with the intention of "clearing the imperial court".

Yang Guozhong and the "Five Yangs" were hated by the whole world.

Li Xuan would squeeze out the surplus value of Yang Guozhong and the Five Yangs and bring them to Chang'an to be executed.

This will minimize the influence of Li Xuan's "using the emperor to control the princes".

This was a time when the people in the court and the country were most resentful. Using the heads of Yang Guozhong and others to quell the resentment could also boost Li Xuan's prestige.

"Prince, I can help you get Jiannan, why don't you give me a way to live? I don't want to be an official anymore. I will disappear like Fan Li."

Yang Guozhong became anxious, he stood up and shouted to Li Xuan.

"I'm here to clean up the wicked for the country. If I let you go, what authority will I have? You've done evil and harmed the country. You've already died."

Li Xuan spoke sternly to Yang Guozhong.

"Li Xuan, compared to you, what am I? You are a thief who stole the country!"

After learning that he was doomed, Yang Guozhong became very emotional. He called Li Xuan by his name and cursed him.

"Your Excellency, you are too kind. I am different from you!"

After saying this, Li Xuan turned and left.

He has begun to make rules and he is not afraid of any insults or sarcasm.

Whether it is a treacherous minister or a loyal minister.

"Li Xuan, people like you will not have a good ending..."

Yang Guozhong continued to curse, but Li Xuan did not answer, and no one responded to him.

It’s up to him whether to eat or not. It’s only two or three days’ journey to Chang’an, so he won’t starve to death.

Yang Guozhong was tied up and escorted to a carriage, and set off with the team.

The carriage behind him carried Lady Guo, Lady Han, Yang Jian, Yang Qi and others.

There were light cavalry guarding both sides, so there was no escape.

Li Longji's dragon chariot, guarded by Luo Xing, walked in the front.

At this time, Li Longji was holding the imperial seal in his arms.

As soon as he arrived in Chang'an, he would give Li Xuan an answer.

Should he confer upon Li Xuan the title of King of Qin, General of Tiance, Minister of the Chancellery, and Grand Marshal of the Army of the World?
This is no different from holding the national seal!

But Gao Lishi was right. The current saint had no choice but to do what he wanted. Li Qilang had many ways to obtain the supreme position.

Gao Lishi did not want Li Longji to come into harm's way and hoped that Li Longji would compromise. He personally announced the appointment of Li Xuan and handed over the task of pacifying An Lushan to Li Xuan.

Li Longji was unwilling to accept this!
Early this morning, he was forcibly taken to the dragon chariot.

He lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw a dense crowd of armored cavalry. Where was his wife Yuhuan?

Yang Yuhuan, the person Li Longji cared about the most, was at the end of the team.

Li Xuan assigned two palace maids to her.

But Yang Yuhuan no longer had any hairstyle on her head, she was only wearing plain clothes, and looked cold and haggard.

She ignored the sound of wheel rutting and horse bells.

Often, a moment of daze lasts for a long time.

After waking up for a moment, he was stunned again.

Most of the princes, ministers, princes and grandchildren were pessimistic.

They don’t know what Chang’an is like now, just as they don’t know their own uncertain future.

On the way to Xianyang, officials from Chang'an approached the team one after another, but were all temporarily detained.

When they learned that the saint had been held hostage by Li Xuan, they could not help but cry out in grief.

What's worse, some people even shouted that Li Xuan was a traitor.

This is a sign that the small clan will replace the big clan.

Li Xuan was tolerant and tolerant. He never assassinated a minister, nor did he frame a minister who was not guilty.

His career has not yet been accomplished, and he will not kill the minister just because of the minister's insult and cause trouble for himself.

At most, it will be abandoned.

On the second day, when they arrived at Xianyang County, the Tiance Guard reported to Li Xuan: "General Li, a man claiming to be the second son of Jingzhao Yin Cui Guangyuan stopped the team and said he wanted to see you."

"Bring it up!"

Li Xuan stopped his horse and gave instructions to the Tiance Guards.

Soon, Cui Guangyuan's second son Cui Kai was brought to Li Xuan by the Tiance Guards. "I am Cui Kai. I have long heard that the King of Tianshui is kind and virtuous. I am here to meet the King of Tianshui on the orders of my father. This is a letter from my father. Please take a look."

After the visit, Cui Kai presented a letter to Li Xuan.

"No gifts!"

Li Xuan told Cui Kai not to be polite and took the letter handed over by the Tiance Guard.

He opened the envelope, took out the book and read it carefully.

There is not much content. Cui Guangyuan first expressed his respect for Li Xuan, and then said that he fully supported the new law and the purge of evil officials. Finally, he stated that Chang'an was in chaos, and the soldiers of the Jinwu Guards and the Jingzhao Yin were not enough to stabilize the situation. He asked Li Xuan to go back to take charge of the overall situation. He was willing to open the gates of Chang'an and surrender the city to the army that was going to purge evil officials.

"Your father was righteous and gave up Chang'an to save the people. Your contribution is invaluable!"

After reading the letter, Li Xuan praised Cui Guangyuan for his act of surrendering the city.

If all the gates of Chang'an are closed, it will take some effort to break through.

Obtaining the complete city of Chang'an would bring many benefits to Li Xuan.

"The people of Chang'an are eagerly waiting for the Prince of Tianshui. My father is just following the trend. It is not a great achievement."

Cui Kai is very good at speaking.

When he saw Li Xuan again, Li Longji had been captured.

The trend of using the emperor to control the princes has already been formed.

Cui Kai knew that Li Xuan would be extremely valuable in the future, and was glad that his father had made the right choice.

An Lushan was definitely no match for Li Xuan.

"The most powerful enemy of the Tang Dynasty right now is An Lushan. I suggest that your father offer the city to An Lushan."

Li Xuan said to Cui Kai.

"I am ignorant and don't understand what King Tianshui means."

Cui Kai was stunned for a moment, not understanding why Li Xuan said that.

"Leave the rebels out of Tongguan, and I will send out cavalry to fight them."

Li Xuan pointed it out directly.

He didn't want to miss the opportunity to strike An Lushan.

If An Lushan's rebels retreated to Tongguan, it would be difficult for Li Xuan to break through.

Li Xuan wanted to lure out An Lushan's army and then launch a surprise attack.

He guessed that after the Battle of Tongguan, An Lushan had limited troops at his disposal.

After all, An Lushan still had some main forces in his hands, fighting a major battle in the Nanyang County area.

It will take some time for Li Xuan's main cavalry to arrive.

During this period, the scouts coming out of Tongguan will definitely have a thorough understanding of the area around Chang'an, which will be disadvantageous to Li Xuan.

After Che Shensai led a thousand light cavalry to pursue Li Heng.

All Li Xuan could mobilize were one thousand iron cavalry and three thousand light cavalry from the Tiance Guard, as well as more than two thousand soldiers from the Feilong Imperial Guard and the Longwu Army.

Li Xuan wanted to use a carefully planned battle to inflict heavy damage on the rebels in Tongguan and delay An Lushan's advance.

"Replying to King Tianshui, I will return to Chang'an immediately to inform my father and send a messenger to Tongguan as soon as possible!"

After Cui Kai understood Li Xuan's meaning, he bowed to Li Xuan.

If we can help Li Xuan wipe out some of the rebels, it will be a great achievement.

His father Cui Guangyuan was once a subordinate of Yang Guozhong, and this relationship must be cleared up in order to gain Li Xuan's respect in the future.

"Okay, if you can complete it, there will be a big reward."

Li Xuan asked several messengers to leave with Cui Kai to facilitate communication and find out the movements of the rebels in the direction of Tongguan.

After this arrangement, Li Xuan did not choose to return to Chang'an immediately.

Instead, Li Longji, Yang Yuhuan, and a group of princes and ministers were placed in Xianyang City.

The army was temporarily stationed in Xianyang County, west of Chang'an.

This way we can deceive the scouts from Tongguan.

Even if An Lushan was cautious and wanted to prevent Li Xuan from posing a threat to him, he would be tempted by the wealth of Chang'an.

If the plan failed and An Lushan did not fall for it, there would be no loss to Li Xuan.

(End of this chapter)