Longshouyuan.

"Tokyo and Luoyang are still in the hands of the Hu people, and Henan and Hebei are suffering. This is a shame for the country. Since I entered Chang'an, I have been heartbroken and I wish I could clear the world immediately and create a prosperous era again."

"Today, I ask the Saint to review the soldiers of the Western Regions and boost their morale. I hope we can recover the country as soon as possible."

Leaving Chang'an from Jiacheng, Li Xuan slowly spoke to Li Longji.

"The army must obey the King of Qin's orders and put down the rebellion as soon as possible!"

Li Longji knew that Li Xuan was showing off his martial arts to him and did not want to come out, but Li Xuan forced him to leave Chang'an to watch the martial arts.

He just didn't want to face it, but in fact he also wanted to see the difference between the border troops and the imperial guards.

Why were the imperial guards, whom he had placed high hopes on, so vulnerable when faced with the Yanyun Iron Cavalry and the Hu Tu cavalry?
"Although Tongguan has been lost, I believe that as long as we recapture Tongguan and pass through Lingbao to Mianchi and Xin'an, the An bandits will abandon Luoyang and flee back to Yan. The Eastern Capital can be returned!"

Li Xuan knew that in An Lushan's heart, life always came first.

Historically, if Tongguan had not been breached by Cui Qianyou, An Lushan would have long ago fled back to Fan Yang to defend it.

"Is the King of Qin going to lead the expedition himself?"

Li Longji suddenly asked with a twinkling eye.

The old emperor wondered if he would have more opportunities if Li Xuan left.

“Maybe!”

Li Xuan smiled slightly, ambiguously.

Even if he went to war, Li Longji and Li Heng, father and son, would not have any chance.

But how can those who hold power be willing to lose power?
"Before watching the martial arts, I have something to ask you?"

Li Xuan said to Li Longji again.

"What does the King of Qin want to ask?"

Li Longji frowned slightly.

"I am now the King of Qin, and my wife is the Queen. But my father is still only the Duke of Song. This is not the behavior of a filial son! Please issue an edict to confer my father the title of Prince of Longxi."

Li Xuan replied to Li Longji.

"I grant you the seal!"

It was inevitable that Li Shizhi would be crowned king, and Li Longji now could not stop it.

The two men, each with their own thoughts, rode the dragon chariot to Longshouyuan.

"The Saint has arrived..."

"The King of Qin has arrived...beat the drum!"

"Dong...dong..."

After Li Xuan arrived, slow and rhythmic drum sounds were heard on Longshouyuan.

Li Longji stood on the dragon chariot and looked around, and saw the magnificent scenery in full view.

Flags fluttered and drums beat.

The soldiers from Anxi and Beiting were seen wearing shiny Ming Guang armor, fish scale armor, and chain mail, holding sharp spears and weapons, and standing in neat rows like a steel Great Wall.

Most of the soldiers dismounted and formed into dozens of square formations to accept the inspection of the King of Qin and the Emperor.

Their eyes are sharp and bright, revealing firm belief and fearless courage.

The soldiers who followed Li Xuan in the western expedition against the Arabs revered Li Xuan as a god.

Li Xuan clearly distinguished between rewards and punishments, which made them eager to make achievements and get rewards.

Any soldier with a little foresight would understand that Li Xuan is no longer the same as before.

For suppressing the rebellion, they may be credited with "following the dragon's merit", and their names are indispensable in the Lingyan Pavilion.

The honor of being granted a title of nobility, appointed as a general, and having one's name recorded in history is very inspiring.

"Meet the King of Qin!"

"Meet the saint!"

The sun was scorching, the soldiers were sweating profusely, shouting loudly, and the dragon chariot shuttled through the square formations.

Li Xuan was wearing golden armor and always gestured with his hand.

The murderous aura made Li Longji open his eyes wide.

In the sunlight, the swords and spears in the soldiers' hands gleamed coldly, and every soldier stood as straight as a strong pine tree.

Li Longji was extremely melancholy.

Compared with the imperial guards who once protected him, even a weak scholar could tell the difference at a glance.

These were his troops!
He was self-righteous and controlled the army through the military supervision system, but in fact the border troops had long been out of his control.

Let the world know that although the "Jiedushi" system can strengthen the border troops, it will sooner or later dig its own grave.

"When guarding the country, they are a solid shield. When fighting for the country, they are a sharp blade. With such a large number of people, they are invincible. Saint, you can rest assured in Xingqing Palace and leave the task of suppressing the rebellion to us."

Li Xuan said to Li Longji meaningfully: "Don't worry about the details of the country, otherwise it will hurt others and yourself."

This was the main purpose of taking Li Longji to watch the military parade.

Within just a few days, Li Longji tried to let his trusted eunuchs inquire about external information and contact some old ministers.

Li Xuan saw all of this.

If Li Longji was content with loneliness, he would not be Li Longji.

Although the old emperor is old and has suffered a lot, he is still in good health.

After living a life of drunkenness and dreaming, he had no way to expend his energy, so he had many ideas.

"I don't understand what the King of Qin is talking about. This is an elite army. The King of Qin should reward them with silk from the Zuozangku!"

Li Longji felt guilty, but he refused to admit that he had sent his trusted eunuch to help him get information, so he changed the subject.

"On behalf of the soldiers, I thank the saint for his reward!"

Li Xuan would definitely reward his soldiers and then march forward. He pointed at the troops led by Li Siye and said to Li Longji: "This is the Mo Dao, and both the men and horses are shattered. The once powerful and heart-shaking cavalry have all fallen under their swords!"

At this time, the Anxi Modao team under Li Siye had completed their equipment changes.

They were wearing heavy armor with fish scales, and their helmets had face guards, revealing only a pair of eyes. The broadswords they held were the most ferocious weapons in the army, and Li Longji turned pale at the sight of them.

"The Mo Dao Army is so majestic when together."

Li Longji had heard of the Modao Army many times in battle reports.

He also fantasized about reviewing the Mo Dao, but never thought he would see it in this way.

"Boom!"

Just then, the sound of hooves was like thunder and the earth was shaking.

The dragon chariot had already passed the infantry phalanx, but rows of cavalry were seen galloping like a whirlwind, their horses were strong and powerful, their hooves were flying, raising clouds of dust.

The Western Region Iron Cavalry were dressed in the mighty Tang Dynasty Ming Guang Armor and held spears in their hands. Their eyes were full of murderous intent, as if they were ready to charge into the enemy camp.

Tens of thousands of horses were galloping, but they were very orderly, with great momentum, and the sound of their iron hooves hitting the ground was breathtaking.

"Woooo..."

When the horn sounded, the soldiers became more motivated and their shouts shook the sky. They raised the weapons in their hands, as if with an overwhelming force, showing the bravery and fighting ability of the mighty army.

Seeing this scene, Li Longji, who was sitting on the dragon chariot with Li Xuan, felt his chest heave.

The nearest cavalry rushed to within ten steps of the dragon chariot before leading the team to bypass it. At that moment, he seemed to see golden swords and iron horses.

Li Longji finally realized that this military parade was a warning prepared by Li Xuan to warn him to be more honest in the future and not to think about "seizing power through a coup."

Although he rose to power through a coup, he eliminated the Wei family group through the "Tanglong Coup", became the crown prince, and then ascended the throne.

He also relied on the "Xiantian Coup" to defeat his aunt Princess Taiping and gain the power that belonged to the emperor.

But things are different now, Li Longji doesn't have any chance at all.

Li Longji witnessed that after Li Xuan gave an order to the messenger, the cavalry retreated like a tide. This was absolute authority.

After the military parade, Li Xuan invited Li Longji to the camp at Longshouyuan.

The main generals of the Anxi, Beiting and Western Region armies also entered the camp together.

In Li Xuan's army, generals only held military positions.

He did not hold concurrent positions such as support and farming.

The judge, the military commander, the secretary, the chief clerk, etc., each has his own duties.

At present, the Anxi Army is led by Che Shensai, assisted by Ma Lin, Li Siye, Zhang Xing, Lai Zhen, Che Guangqian, Hun Yu, Hao Tingyu, Wei Boyu, Bai Xiaode and other generals.

Beiting's 15,000 cavalry were led by Cheng Qianli.

The 10,000 cavalrymen from the Western Regions were led by Yuchi Sheng.

A square formation was formed with the Anxi Army as the main body, and Beiting and Xiyu as the left and right wings.

In the military camp, in addition to the generals, there was also a Taoist priest in white.

The appearance of this Taoist priest in white in such an occasion was quite abrupt.

The generals only knew that this was Li Xuan's guest of honor and did not dare to neglect him.

A few days ago, Li Mi was invited by Li Xuan to leave Zhongnan Mountain and come to Chang'an. He is now living in the Prince Qin's Mansion. The two of them have a very pleasant conversation.

Li Xuan wanted to directly appoint Li Mi as Shangshu Zuo Pushe, but was rejected by Li Mi.

He has no prestige and it is impossible for him to hold such a high position, which would make people all over the world dissatisfied.

Li Mi was even unwilling to take up a ninth-rank official position and was only willing to serve as an aide to Li Xuan and provide advice.

Li Mi wanted to benefit the world. It was not that he did not want to become the prime minister, but he wanted to change the customs before the 15th year of Tianbao.

The king does not care about titles, but people covet his noble favor.

He showed the world that he was willing to give up his title and official position and serve the country only.

Let those who want to get promoted and become rich by virtue of tiny contributions, and those who want to get something for nothing, correct their bad habits.

Li Xuan did not force Li Mi to hold an official position. He planned to wait for a while and then grant Li Mi a minor official position to help him accumulate prestige.

He was indeed eager to recruit talented people, and although Li Mi was of great help to him, if he directly became the prime minister, it would inevitably make the officials who trusted him dissatisfied.

Li Longji, sitting in the main seat, also noticed that Li Mi was unusual.

He felt that this Taoist priest must have participated in Li Xuan's coup to seize power.

When studying how to break through Tongguan, Li Xuan asked Liu Dan to take out the imperial edict to confer honors on his generals.

The highest chariot god Sai and Wang Nandai were both appointed as pillars of the state and dukes of the county.

Li Siye, Cheng Qianli, Zhang Xing and others were all appointed generals.

Later, one hundred thousand pieces of silk will be taken from the left treasury as rewards to the soldiers.

The generals were eager to capture Tongguan and recapture the Eastern Capital.

"The war cannot be prolonged, or else lives will be lost. Tell me what you think?"

Li Xuan worshipped Li Longji like a Bodhisattva and asked the generals for their opinions.

It is expected that the army from Longyou and Hexi will arrive in Chang'an in late May.

Now the cavalry with Anxi and Beiting as the vanguard can prepare for the attack.

Li Xuan would not allow a battle like the "Battle of Xiangji Temple" to happen in history.

His cavalry far outnumbers the rebels, and he must take advantage of the cavalry.

"To the King of Qin, if we attack from the east to the west, Tongguan will be the most powerful pass in the world. However, if we attack from the west to the east, it will only be an ordinary pass. Even if the rebels station 100,000 troops at Tongguan, they will have nowhere to deploy their forces. I think we should send out all the siege equipment of the army and lead the infantry to attack. We will surely be able to break through within ten days."

Wei Boyu suggested attacking Tongguan directly, so as not to give the rebels a chance to grow stronger.

What he said made sense. The establishment of Xintongguan was originally intended to prevent the rebels from attacking Guanzhong.

Rather than blocking Guanzhong.

Therefore, the Yellow River rolls along the east side of Tongguan, and there are high mountains and steep ravines.

Most of the passes west of Tongguan are made of rammed earth and stone.

Li Xuan was a little hesitant about this.

He had been to Tongguan and knew that attacking from the west would also be a tough nut to crack.

Historically, after the Tang army won a great victory over the rebels in the Battle of Xiangji Temple, the rebels lost their main force in Guanzhong, and only then did they take advantage of the situation to recapture Tongguan.

The main force of the rebels is still there and their morale has not collapsed. They have a large number of powerful crossbows and city defense equipment.

If you attack rashly, you may end up with a bloody head.

"King of Qin, our army is composed of cavalry. If we go south along the Shannan East Road, pass through Wuguan and go around to Nanyang, we can directly threaten An Lushan in Luoyang."

Feng Changqing, who had just taken office as the Minister of War, suggested to Li Xuan.

He has recently been studying the eastward route for a long time.

If they attacked Tongguan by force, even if they took it, the rebels would find ways to block them on the narrow mountain road.

"Xue Yuan is currently leading his army to fight against the rebel general in Nanyang, and we have not received any specific news yet. If Nanyang has already fallen, even if our army makes a detour, it will be disadvantageous to us."

An Lushan's rebels continued to recruit soldiers and their power grew tremendously.

A cavalry force of tens of thousands of people crossing mountains and ridges and making a detour from the south of the mountain would require a large amount of food and supplies, which would definitely be difficult to prepare.

Li Xuan hoped to make arrangements after the battle situation became clear.

The best outcome would be that Xue Yuan, Xu Hao and others defended against the armies of Wu Lingxun and Tian Chengsi in Nanyang.

That way, Li Xuan could send cavalry to provide support.

Otherwise, the cities would be occupied by the rebels and there would be no food supply, which would be too dangerous.

"Replying to the King of Qin, if we support Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi to quickly occupy the counties of Hebei and cut off An Lushan's connection with Fanyang, then we will not be the ones who are anxious."

Liu Dan bowed to Li Xuan and suggested using the safest tactic.

"After Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi left Jingxing, they used Changshan as their base camp and tried to annihilate the enemy. I have personally issued military orders to them. But we must continue to suppress the rebels, otherwise millions of people in the Central Plains will be left homeless."

Li Xuan knew very well that this was the safest approach, but he knew better than anyone how difficult Shi Siming and An Lushan were to deal with.

If Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi were not disturbed, the 50,000 soldiers under their command would surely win the victory in Hebei.

But it takes a lot of time.

He could not tolerate the rebels continuing to rape and plunder the Central Plains.

He knew that after the Battle of Nanyang, the rebel groups dispersed to plunder wherever they went, with no military discipline at all.

Moreover, he had an army of 200,000 men and more than 150,000 war horses.

Every meal consumes a mountain of food.

The food he brought from Anxi would be eaten up sooner or later. He had to capture Luoyang as soon as possible and seize its granary.

Otherwise, a heavy burden will be placed on the people in Guanzhong.

"King Qin, are the counties in Hedong now in the hands of the rebels?"

Li Mi suddenly asked Li Xuan.

He and Li Xuan privately studied many tactics, and he knew that Li Xuan was very anxious to break through Tongguan.

Unlike Li Longji who was eager to leave Tongguan, Li Xuan wanted to reduce the suffering of the people in the Central Plains.

Li Xuan had absolute confidence in his army.

Once the battle started in the field, the tens of thousands of crossbowmen and three thousand Modao soldiers from Anxi and Beiting would deal a fatal blow to the Yan army.

"I have sent people to inquire about the news of the Hedong counties. I don't know whether the rebels have occupied the Hedong counties after the failure of the Tongguan battle."

Li Xuan replied to Li Mi.

"No matter what, General Li can temporarily capture the counties in Hedong. Use the Hedong region to threaten Henan. Pin down the rebels on the other side of the Yellow River."

Li Mi said to Li Xuan.

Under the current circumstances, Hedong has become a strategic location.

It is only separated from Luoyang by a river. If a large number of troops are deployed, An Lushan will definitely panic.

Moreover, Hedong can directly threaten Tongguan.

Geshu Han arranged the entire Battle of Tongguan, and his troops were stationed on both sides of the Yellow River.

"What do you think, generals?"

Li Xuan nodded slightly and asked other generals.

The Hedong Army was led out of Jingxing by Li Guangbi, and after the losses in the Battle of Tongguan, there were only a few left. It was impossible for Li Xuan to let Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi lead the army to Hedong.

Historically, Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi won victory after victory in Hebei, and the situation in the whole of Hebei was very good. When they were about to attack Fan Yang, Li Heng suddenly ordered Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi to lead 50,000 elite troops back to the court.

There are many ferry crossings to Hedong in the Jingzhao area. If Hedong is lost, these ferry crossings will definitely be occupied by the rebels.

The Tang army could only continue to move northward, looking for a ferry to cross the Yellow River.

It is not easy for the rebels to win the hearts of the people in Hedong. The Tang army is absolutely sure to expel the rebels from Hedong.

"Occupying Hedong can contain the rebels along the Yellow River. Even if we attack Tongguan, we can choose to attack from two directions, which will be much easier."

"We can also take advantage of the rebels' panic to cross the river and cut off their retreat."

"I agree to attack Hedong first."

"I beg your pardon..."

All the generals requested orders.

As long as Li Xuan gives the order, they will fully support him no matter where he goes.

"In this case, General Che, send scouts north along the Yellow River to find a crossing that has not been occupied by the rebels."

Li Xuan instructed Che Shensai.

"As ordered!"

The god of cars obeyed the order.

"After three days of rest, the army is ready to set off."

Li Xuan gave another order.

After giving some instructions on military matters, Li Xuan left with Li Longji, accompanied by the generals.

From beginning to end, Li Longji didn't say a word.

"In future, don't call me 'I' during military discussions like this."

Sitting on the dragon chariot, Li Longji muttered in dissatisfaction.

Those generals were all promoted by Li Xuan. They just saluted superficially, and none of them respected him, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

He no longer has the power to give orders.

"The saint doesn't like this kind of occasion, so don't invite him here in the future." Li Xuan said with a smile.

Li Longji looked depressed and didn't want to say a word to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan sent Li Longji back to Jiacheng and left.

The next day, the court issued an edict to confer the title of Prince of Longxi on Li Shizhi.

The civil and military officials did not make a fuss.

The son has been made a king, but it would be inappropriate if his father is not even a prince of a county.

At this time, Li Shizhi was still in Bailangqiang and had not received any news from Li Xuan to welcome him back to Chang'an.

That afternoon, when Li Xuan was handling government affairs in the Council Hall, Luo Xing hurried into the hall to report.

Luo Xing was named the Left Dragon and Martial General by Li Xuan, Xue Cuo was named the Right Dragon and Martial General by Li Xuan, and Pei Ying was named the Right Yulin General by Li Xuan.

They are the three current Tiancewei generals in Chang'an and also the generals of the imperial guards.

At the same time, Li Xuan had already ordered the recruitment of soldiers in the Jingzhao area, and there was a large number of applicants.

After training, the new recruits will be deployed into the various armies.

When the Hexi and Longyou troops arrive, Li Xuan will select another 10,000 people to serve as the Tiance Guards.

"Which place has the news?"

Li Xuan looked at Luo Xing's expression and guessed which scout had brought him the news.

"Reporting to the King of Qin, the Hedong counties have not been occupied by the rebels. Now Geshu Han is leading the 10,000 Heshuo troops that were defeated in the Battle of Tongguan, as well as tens of thousands of troops from the Hedong counties, to guard the county seat of Hedong County."

Luo Xing replied to Li Xuan.

"Hedong has not been lost?"

Li Xuan showed his delight, and he quickly figured out the cause and effect.

Historically, after the Battle of Tongguan, An Lushan handed over the task of occupying Chang'an to his adopted son An Shouzhong.

Cui Qianyou, the hero of the Battle of Tongguan, crossed the Yellow River and attacked the Hedong counties, forming a barrier around Luoyang.

It is very difficult to continue moving northward. As we all know, the counties west of Taihang Mountains are all easy to defend and difficult to attack areas.

Cui Qianyou wanted to go north to Taiyuan, and even block Jingxing to undermine Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi, but it would be impossible to accomplish this without sufficient military strength and logistics.

"The major crossings near Tongguan, such as Fengling Ferry and Pujin Bridge, are currently occupied by the rebels. However, I believe that as long as Geshu Han can send troops to occupy Pujin Ferry and Pujin Bridge..."

Luo Xing reported the information he obtained to Li Xuan.

"Wait, I will write a letter to Geshu Han. Send a spy to deliver my letter to Geshu Han immediately."

Li Xuan said this, pushing aside an unfinished document.

He took out a piece of white paper and wrote a letter to Geshu Han.

He told Geshu Han that the loss of Tongguan was not his fault and he should not worry about it.

He had been named King of Qin, in charge of all the troops in the world. He ordered Geshu Han to attack the Puzhou Bridge to clear the way for the Tang cavalry.

After the letter, Geshu Han was appointed as the governor of Hedong County, giving him the authority to conduct military affairs in Hedong.

Finally, Li Xuan stamped the Qin King's seal on the letter.

Luo Xing received Li Xuan's letter and left the Council of State.

Li Xuan had previously judged that Hedong had been lost.

So I never thought that the Pujin Bridge still existed.

In this era, if iron armor, large shields, and powerful crossbows were placed at the end of the bridge, even thousands of troops would be unable to pass.

If there is a chance of breaking through Tongguan, then there is no possibility of attacking Pujin Bridge from the opposite side.

Therefore, Pujin Bridge is known as "Puguan".

Speaking of the Puzhou Bridge, it is known to everyone in later generations.

The story of Monk Huai Bing fishing for the iron ox is a required course.

As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the powerful Qin state west of the Yellow River built the Puzhou Bridge in order to advance into Hedong.

Since then, successive dynasties have continuously renovated and expanded the Pujin Bridge, making the history of the Pujin Bridge enduring.

The saying "Thirty years on the east side of the river, thirty years on the west side of the river" is used to describe the changing world and the unpredictable rise and fall of the world. But this saying comes from the two banks of the Yellow River where the Pujin Bridge is located.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the needs of political and economic development finally overwhelmed the ancient Puzhou Bamboo Rope Floating Bridge.

During the Kaiyuan Period, many materials transported by land in Chang'an had to pass through the Pujin Bridge.

Thus, the Pujin Bridge was born, also known as the "Pujin Iron Bridge".

The construction of the Puzhou Iron Bridge was a huge project during the Kaiyuan period, and Li Longji was personally in charge of it.

The iron smelting industry was well developed during the Kaiyuan period. Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the strait were ordered to smelt iron and cast the bridge, and many craftsmen set up the bridge.

After a hard battle, they forged iron bulls, which lay on both sides of the Yellow River, with iron chains tied to their bodies to connect the boats.

This is the first fixed cable floating bridge in history.

Unlike ordinary bridges, it is very difficult to burn down the Puzhou Iron Bridge.

The significance of this iron bridge can be imagined. Under the cover of Geshu Han, the Tang army's cavalry could easily pass through the Puzhou Iron Bridge and threaten Tongguan.

Even if the rebels had some troops in Hedong, they were far outnumbered by the Tang army's cavalry.

Three days later, the cavalry from Anxi and Beiting set out as usual.

But the target route changed. Except for leaving only 30,000 cavalry in Huayin, the rest headed straight for Pujin Bridge.

Li Xuan ordered the Minister of War Feng Changqing to go on the expedition in person and dispatch the troops, and ordered the Vice Minister Cen Shen to be the Grand Marshal of the Army of the Nation.

After arriving at Hedong, build as many boats as possible in preparation for crossing the river.

Li Xuan knew that the real war had not yet begun, so he had to stay in Chang'an, learn about news from various places, and coordinate dispatches.

There are currently only 10,000 Tiance Guards left in Chang'an, as well as some newly recruited soldiers.

A few days later, Li Xuan heard bad news.

As he expected, Wu Lingxun and Tian Chengsi won the Battle of Nanyang, and the 50,000-strong Tang army was defeated and fled in all directions.

Li Xuan was very dissatisfied with the battle report he received.

Originally, the Tang army and the rebels were confronting each other at the Li River north of Ye County.

The rebels did not dare to attack easily.

However, at the request of the Tang army generals, Xue Yuan obeyed the generals' request, crossed the river and took the initiative to attack.

The Tang army fell into Wu Lingxun's trap and was ambushed. The front and rear were unable to take care of each other and were defeated in an instant.

How could the miscellaneous soldiers from various counties and the temporarily recruited local militia fight against An Lushan's border troops?

Fortunately, only Xue Yuan's army was defeated.

He Liguang, the governor of Lingnan, Zhao Guozhen, the governor of Qianzhong, and Xu Hao, the governor of Xiangyang, had not arrived yet.

Their troops did not join forces with Xue Yuan's army.

However, there were many gold, silver and jewelry used to purchase military supplies in the military camp. When the rebels were defeated and fled, they were discarded on the road along with the military supplies and equipment, piling up like a mountain. The rebels went crazy picking up the money.

Li Xuan immediately ordered Xu Hao to abandon Zhou Jiao, defend Nanyang City to the death, and stop the rebels from moving south.

Nanyang City is the strongest city in the world.

Li Xuan was worried about Xu Hao, a great calligrapher. He felt that these officials who had served as prefects knew nothing about military affairs.

Therefore, Li Xuan appointed Wang Nandar as the governor of Nanyang and ordered him to rush to Nanyang immediately to lead the troops coming from Jiangnan, Lingnan and Qianzhong to resist the rebels.

He wanted to trap the rebels in Henan and annihilate them from three sides.

Li Xuan specifically told Wang Nandai that if any prefect disobeyed his military orders, he should be arrested and sent to Chang'an.

However, there is one good thing. Li Xuan roughly learned the news from Nanyang, Runan and Yingchuan areas, and the situation did not deteriorate to the point where it was out of control.

Li Xuan sent scouts together with Liao Zhengrong's Changping recruits to the east to gather information.

He wanted to know what was happening in Juyang and the Jianghuai area.

When the elite soldiers from Helong arrive, he will send a part of the elite troops from Shannan to Nanyang to cooperate with Wang Nandai.

Li Xuan ordered people to collect food and grass as quickly as possible, used silk and jewelry to buy food from merchants and wealthy families, and mobilized civilians.

If the soldiers and horses are not moving, the grain and grass will go first.

Although the elite soldiers from Helong have not arrived yet, the team transporting grain can leave Wuguan, reach Shannan, and store the grain at the post stations along the way.

At this critical moment, if any county dared to slack off, Li Xuan would kill him without mercy.

After the situation became clear, Li Xuan's strategy had been formed.

Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi, with the assistance of volunteer forces from various counties in Hebei, suppressed the rebellion.

Feng Changqing and Che Shensai led their troops in Hedong, waiting for an opportunity to cross the Yellow River.

Li Siye led the Modao Army and 30,000 cavalry in Huayin to observe the movements in Tongguan.

The king had the rare opportunity to go to Nanyang to stabilize the situation.

After the reinforcements from Helong arrived, the real battle began.

An Lushan's military forces also had to be dispersed.

Shi Siming and Cai Xide of Hebei had been defeated once by Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi.

Although the Battle of Tongguan was a great victory, they were tricked by Li Xuan and retreated to Tongguan in a very frustrated manner, waiting for the actions of the Uighurs and Tubo.

Wu Lingxun and Tian Chengsi of Nanyang won a great victory in Ye County.

An Lushan recruited soldiers and prepared to attack the Juyang Canal, open up the road south to the Yangtze River and Huai River, and seize the taxes of the Tang Dynasty.

Both Li Xuan and An Lushan are ambitious and want to kill each other quickly!
……

Hedong City.

"I was also at fault in the Battle of Tongguan! Thank you, King Qin, for giving me the opportunity to atone for my sins."

After receiving the letter, Geshu Han bowed to the west.

After being defeated by Cui Qianyou, he gathered 10,000 defeated soldiers and organized another 10,000 county soldiers and local militia in the Hedong counties.

He thought Cui Qianyou would attack Hedong, and he was ready to defend Puzhou City, the capital of Hedong County. Unexpectedly, the rebels quickly withdrew their troops before crossing the Yellow River.

Only a small number of soldiers were left behind to guard the Pujin Bridge and some Yellow River ferry crossings.

From these actions, Geshu Han judged that something had happened.

Now Geshu Han knows that King Li Xuan has returned, completed the purge of the evil officials, and is in control of the government.

The suppression of the rebellion was led by Li Xuan.

As Li Xuan's former subordinate, Geshu Han immediately found the direction of his life.

On the same day, Geshu Han informed his subordinates Tian Liangqiu and Li Chengguang of the news. He decided to follow the order of the King of Qin and attack the rebels stationed on the east bank of the Puzhen Bridge in the early morning of May 16.

To be on the safe side, he led all the soldiers forward.

Tian Liangqiu and Li Chengguang immediately expressed their support for Geshu Han.

After the defeat in the Battle of Tongguan, they had no place to stay.

Fortunately, Li Xuan completed the coup, and now Li Xuan is the only person they can rely on.

On May 15th, Geshu Han used his remaining property to buy meat and reward the soldiers. After recuperating, 20,000 soldiers left Puzhou City at midnight and rushed to Puzhou Bridge.

Puzhou City is not far from Pujin Bridge.

Even the 5,000 Yan army soldiers stationed there often went to the city of Puzhou to show off their power.

The Yan army always believed that Geshu Han was a coward. If Cui Qianyou had not led the main force to support Tongguan, they would have directly attacked Puzhou City and captured all the Hedong counties.

Cui Qianyou also considered the importance of Pujin Bridge, and led 5,000 soldiers to defend it, led by the brave general An Shenwei, to prevent the Tang army from entering Hedong from Pujin Bridge to provide support.

Generals Cui Qianyou, An Shouzhong and others were determined to fight a decisive battle with Li Xuan's army in Guanzhong.

However, An Lushan disagreed and issued a death order to guard Tongguan.

……

Half an hour after Geshu Han led his troops out of the city, they arrived outside Puzhen Bridge.

He ordered his soldiers to move as quietly as possible and walk along the Yellow River.

The sound of the Yellow River rushing down covered up some of the noise.

The rebels knew that this was a critical moment and did not relax too much.

In addition to the soldiers who guarded the Pujin Bridge at all times, there were also knights patrolling around.

When they were two miles away, they discovered a large group of Tang troops heading south.

Vaguely, there are tens of thousands of them.

"Enemy attack!"

"Woooo..."

The patrolling Yan army soldiers shouted in panic, and then quickly blew the horn to warn the enemy of the attack.

All the sleeping Yan soldiers were awakened.

The Yan army guarding the Pujin Bridge was basically composed of infantry. They put on armor, held weapons, and quickly organized a defense.

An Shenwei ordered the messenger to take a small boat down the river to tell Cui Qianyou in Tongguan that the Tang army was attacking Pujin Bridge and asked for help.

Tongguan is located on the Yellow River and is less than fifty miles away from Pujin Bridge.

Since ancient times, to guard Tongguan, one must guard Fenglingdu and Pujindu.

Cui Qianyou knows this truth well.

He originally wanted to occupy Puzhou City and ensure the safety of Puzhou Bridge.

He heard that Geshu Han had gathered tens of thousands of soldiers to guard Puzhou City and had decided to attack.

But the matter was left unresolved because of Li Xuan's arrival.

Cui Qianyou was unwilling to hand over Pujin Ferry and Pujin Bridge to Geshu Han, so he sent 5,000 elite infantry to guard them, thinking that they could stop Geshu Han's remnants...

(End of this chapter)