It was late at night, and Ningxue was unique. Zhang Xun and Mo Sheng were still talking across the table in the dilapidated thatched hut. Fresh white covered the entire courtyard with gray. The dilapidated thatched hut was lit with bright lights, and the flames were blown by the cold wind. He was blowing all over the place, as if he was drunk.
In the wind and snow, Zhang Xun listened to Mo Sheng's narration about An Lushan's rebellious journey. The side dishes that went with the wine were as ice as ice. Only the wine was still drinkable. It was just that it was freezing cold and there was no internal energy to protect the body. Zhang Xun, every time he drank a glass, the chill got worse. Zhang Xun silently sighed in his heart, how nice it would be to bring a small stove to warm the wine when he went out.
Although the drink was not warm, Zhang Xun's heart still felt faintly boiling after hearing about the righteousness of the Yan brothers and the loyalty and bravery of the counties and counties in Hebei in resisting. He finally knew that he was not sailing in a canoe. In this big storm, There are many people rolling around. Those who walk alone are not afraid of the dark, only afraid of loneliness.
It was just Mo Sheng's subsequent narration that left Zhang Xun unable to extricate himself for a long time. He really didn't know how to respond, how to evaluate the court that he devoted so much to, how foolish his loyalty was, and how much reward his perseverance had! Could it be that Li Tang's court was so miserable?
Mo Sheng told him that the anti-thief army, which was in a good situation, was actually manipulated by His Majesty the Emperor and was defeated for more than a thousand miles.
After listening to Bian Lingcheng's secret report, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty learned that Feng Changqing, who had high hopes for him, was defeated and fled. While he scolded him for being a loser, he sent people to execute orders to reduce his rank. After Feng Changqing was defeated, he sent special envoys three times to report the situation of the rebels to Emperor Xuanzong. Emperor Xuanzong wanted to cut his flesh and bones. How could he listen to the report of this defeated general.
Feng Changqing had no results for three times, so he had to go to the court on horseback to submit a letter. When he arrived at Weinan County, he happened to meet the envoy sent by the emperor. The envoy carried out the order to cut off Feng Changqing's rank on the spot and ordered him to return Gao Xianzhi as soon as possible. The military department is self-effective in white clothes. In Feng Changqing's opinion, it no longer mattered that the brocade robe was replaced by white clothes. The emperor punished him to serve in Gao Xianzhi's army in white clothes, not because he expected him to be guilty and meritorious, but simply to humiliate his face. Feng Changqing knew that he had lost Luoyang and was unlikely to escape the death penalty, so he did not argue anymore and directly accepted the order to be punished. Returning to the inn, he immediately drafted a suicide note stating the strength of the rebels and analyzing it.
Based on the battle situation that flowed from his own blood, and based on this, he came up with some of his own strategies to deal with and defeat the enemy. Thousands of words were written eloquently, hoping that after his death, the emperor would no longer underestimate the enemy, more or less follow some of his strategies, and put down the rebellion as soon as possible. He could be regarded as doing his last loyalty to the country, and he could only rely on his own good to avoid shame. Big brother.
At that time, everyone in the imperial court thought that An Lushan was wildly rebellious and underestimated the power of the rebels. They thought that this disobedient flame would be extinguished soon. Feng Changqing thought so too. However, in the battle of Luoyang, Feng Changqing was defeated. , so he has this appearance, hoping that others can take him as a warning and act with caution.
His Majesty the Emperor, who lives high in the temple, naturally does not know the real reason for Feng Changqing's defeat, but Gao Xianzhi is not confused. He vaguely understands that Feng Changqing is not just as simple as underestimating the enemy. There are definitely many reasons for the defeat, and the two have been close friends for many years, so Gao Xianzhi He ordered Feng Changqing to inspect the armies on the left and right sides to help him. He also sincerely hoped that he could make up for his mistakes and regain his glory in exchange for his life.
After Feng Changqing was settled, it was expected that there would be no big move in Anlu Mountain for a while, so Gao Xianzhi, who had lost Shaanxi County, acted cautiously. After he retreated to Tongguan, he maintained strict military discipline and drilled day and night, trying to piece it all together as soon as possible. The team has been trained to look like it. Gao Xianzhi, who had made long-term plans, went step by step, preparing to slowly melt Anlu Mountain's power like melting snow. After all, behind him was the Tang Empire, which had been prosperous for nearly a hundred years. Anlu Mountain did not have such strong capital, so he borrowed It was just a rush of energy and caught off guard. The Tang Dynasty that had calmed down was like a flying dragon in the sky.
Gao Xianzhi's strategic thinking is right. The generals understand it, the civil servants understand it, An Lushan understands it, and the wise Emperor Xuanzong probably understands it too. But everyone else can wait, but he can't wait, and he doesn't want to wait. He wants to strike with thunder, he wants a flying dragon in the sky, and he wants An Lushan to kneel at his feet immediately. How can he let a bitch be so proud as he is? He ruined his reputation for the rest of his life.
Tongguan Supervisor Bian Lingcheng had served the emperor for many years. He had a good understanding of the emperor's thoughts and knew that the emperor hoped for a quick victory. So from the time he set out from Chang'an until he was stationed at Tongguan, he repeatedly made excuses to obtain food from the military headquarters. Qian Li was trying to benefit himself. On the one hand, he kept formulating military strategies to Gao Xianzhi, urging him to use troops as soon as possible to achieve success. Gao Xianzhi was not confused. He pretended not to know about Bian Lingcheng's actions of enriching himself. After all, he was a supervisor sent by the emperor. Who would be willing to do such a hard job if he couldn't make any money? But you, an eunuch who is neither yin nor yang, secretly nibble some food. That's all. I should give up some money to shut your mouth, but while you are digging into your mouth, you still have to point out my military affairs. If it weren't for the fact that you are the emperor's man, I still have some friendship in the past, you would have put it down long ago. You dragged it to feed the wolves. Therefore, Gao Xianzhi naturally ignored Bian Lingcheng's sincere words, so his indifference this time finally hurt Bian Lingcheng's face, making Bian Lingcheng hold a grudge and secretly determined to wait for an opportunity to take revenge.
Later, when Gao Xianzhi also lost Shaanxi Province, Bian Lingcheng knew that this was the best opportunity. Emperor Tian had paid off and he had to seize it. So he secretly went to the court overnight to report Gao Xianzhi and Feng Xuanzong to Xuanzong. Regarding Chang Qing's defeat, he added some salt and vinegar when meeting the Holy Spirit, and he said:
"Feng Changqing said to everyone he met that the rebels were powerful and invincible, which greatly shaken the morale of the imperial army. Gao Xianzhi was even more unbearable. He was so frightened by An Lushan that he retreated without a fight and gave up hundreds of miles of Shaanxi County. He secretly deducted food and rewards from the soldiers, and pocketed all the life-saving materials, money, and food without caring about the life and death of the sergeants. He really ignored the emperor's expectations. He took the empire's resources and lives and did not think about going into battle to kill the enemy and serve the imperial court. To support one's own troops and take advantage of the fire to plunder and enrich one's own pockets is really useless, and it is a serious crime of deceiving the emperor."
After listening to Bian Lingcheng's words, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty believed them. He himself was complaining about the poor results of these people, and when he heard that the two men had engaged in such dirty deeds, he was furious and immediately sent Bian Lingcheng with the order. The order rushed to the Tongguan army and killed Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing without mercy.
"This is the ending of the famous double wall of the empire, so sad!"
Mo Sheng sighed secretly in his heart and continued talking.
On the 18th day of the twelfth lunar month in the fourteenth year of Tianbao, the emperor's special envoy Bian Lingcheng returned to Tongguan. He first sent someone to call Feng Changqing and announced to him the emperor's official edict. Feng Changqing knew he deserved to die, so he handed over his thousands of blood and tears to Bian Lingcheng, asking him to report to the emperor and not waste his last bit of loyalty. After Bian Lingcheng pretended to accept it, he beheaded him directly and exposed his body on the reeds without taking into account the friendship he had known each other for many years. After Gao Xianzhi returned to the government office, he still didn't know that Feng Changqing had been killed. Bian Lingcheng took a hundred imperial swordsmen and read to Gao Xianzhi at the gate of the government office the emperor's order to execute Gao Xianzhi, the imperial censor. . Before Gao Xianzhi had time to dismount, he heard such a bolt from the blue. He hurriedly dismounted and argued with his close friend in the past:
"I encountered the enemy and retreated, so I deserved to die. But the edict said that I secretly withheld rewards and military rations from sergeants, which is pure slander. There is heaven above and earth below, and the soldiers and generals are all here. Don't you know?"
The indignant Gao Xianzhi got angrier and angrier as he spoke, but Bian Lingcheng's eyes across from him became colder and colder. He ignored his former friend's indignation and just stared coldly at the proud general's final struggle. He enjoyed the pleasure of revenge. Feeling, who told you not to listen to me? The more you struggle, the more excited I am.
Gao Xianzhi was still shouting, and he shouted to the accompanying soldiers:
"I, Mr. Gao, have recruited you. Of course I want to defeat the rebels and get more rewards. However, An Lushan is very powerful. This is a fact. Therefore, I have temporarily avoided the edge and retreated here to strengthen the defense of Tongguan for the future." . If I am guilty, you can speak out; if not, you can shout that we are wronged, so that the border guards know our humiliation and His Majesty knows our unwillingness!"
Although Gao Xianzhi is usually a bit proud and yearns for money and power, this is all human nature. In the face of great right and wrong, he can be called a hero. The sergeants under his command admire his talent, are grateful for his knowledge, and admire his integrity. At this moment, I heard that The emperor wanted to kill his own coach, so they shouted "Unjustly!" Although their voices shook the heaven and the earth, they could not shake the emperor's silk edict at all.
Bian Lingcheng is still looking at him coldly. He is a real villain. He has always adhered to the concept of cutting the grass and leaving no consequences. This time he has gone to great lengths to get rid of Gao Xianzhi. He will not be the least bit soft-hearted. Besides, it is His Majesty the Emperor who wants your life. What do I have to do with someone next to me? In the underworld on the Huangquan Road, if you have the ability to collect debts and extort lives, go to the person on the dragon throne. No matter what you do today, you will not be able to get out of the word "death" I wrote for you.
Gao Xianzhi's struggle was destined to be useless. Bian Lingcheng would not pity a chess piece that had lost its use value, so before leaving, he asked the emperor to grant him a force to prevent Gao Xianzhi from taking risks in Feng Changqing's desperation. Gao Xianzhi and Chang Qing were both generals who had led troops for many years. It was reasonable for them to have some madmen who only knew the generals' orders but not the king's orders, so they had to guard against them. After hearing this, the emperor was still hesitating whether he really wanted to kill them. In addition, Bian Lingcheng's heart-wrenching words made it even more difficult for them to die. He immediately mobilized a hundred soldiers from the imperial guard. With Mo Dao, he escorted Bian Lingcheng to Tongguan.
Gao Xianzhi in front of the Tongguan government camp shouted that he was wronged, and the guards below him who had been through life and death for many years were many brave men of blood. Today, the emperor accepted the edict and still surrendered. If they really wanted to kill my coach, they would have to risk their lives. Disobeying orders and snatching away the marshal, grandma, my good life was given by the marshal, not by the old emperor in Huaqing Pool. It really made me anxious. I will also imitate An Lushan and rebel!
The atmosphere in front of the official office is getting more and more uncomfortable. The two parties are in a tense situation. On Gao Xianzhi's side, there is sparkling excitement, while on Bian Lingcheng's side, there is a silent undercurrent. The fire is getting stronger and stronger, and if there is a disagreement, swords will be pointed at each other; murderous intent is also looming on the water side, and a hundred gleaming swords are ready to attack at any time. They don't care what the identity of the other party is. In their opinion, All obstacles can be broken with the knife in your hand.
Gao Xianzhi allowed the sergeants below to vent their dissatisfaction. There were some things he couldn't say clearly, and he had to rely on his subordinates to clarify. But today's Bian Lingcheng was very unusual. The eunuch just read out the emperor's edict and then stepped back a few steps. These few steps just allowed him to retreat in front of the Mo Dao team. He was very rational and ignored the shouts and screams of the group of people opposite him. He just held the emperor's edict and looked at it coldly, without replying to Gao Xianzhi's words. , no matter how you boil, I will remain unmoved.
The general and lieutenant under Gao Xianzhi had been arguing for a long time, but could not receive a response from the other party. The eunuch just pretended to be deaf and mute as if he was dead, but the eyes of the large internal guards of the Mo Dao team behind him were red, and the high-volume The bright yellow satin held up in his hands hung silently, making Gao Xianzhi increasingly out of breath.
Things are very troublesome. It seems that the emperor is determined to have him operated on. The one hundred calm and bloodthirsty swordsmen are the emperor's determination.
Gao Xianzhi waved his hand. The people below looked at the gesture and quickly became quiet. At this moment, in front of the official office, Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng looked at each other, staring at each other. Bian Lingcheng's eyes were firm, but Gao Xianzhi's were complicated. , anger, confusion, grievance, ferocity, until the last moment of indifference, he suddenly smiled. He smiled so softly that only he could hear it.
Bian Lingcheng looked at the laughing general. Although he was over fifty years old, he still had an outstanding appearance. He also wanted to laugh. He didn't know why he wanted to laugh. Whether he was laughing at Gao Xianzhi or himself. He didn't know. He was just laughing. A silent laugh in my heart, an inexplicable laugh.
Gao Xianzhi laughed for a while, then looked back at the generals and captains behind him. These comrades who had followed him through life and death for many years were leaving today. He looked back at the hundred-man Modao team with bright armor opposite him, and thought for a while. He sighed and looked at Bian Lingcheng again.
Gao Xianzhi is not a person who gives up easily. He is resolute, courageous, and ferocious. He has fought many victorious battles and been defeated many times. It doesn't matter if he has not passed through any battles, and he has been killed like a river of blood. Today's situation, He was not powerless to fight back. The hundred-man Mo Dao team opposite is certainly powerful, and each one is a second-grade expert. The leading ones are even first-grade. Although there are not many top-notch ones on our side, most of the guards are only around third-grade in strength, and only a few of the second-grade are. Half, but there are many people on my side. If they really draw their swords against each other, hundreds of second-grade Mo Dao will face thousands of third-grade swordsmen. It is not too difficult to eat them, and once they really take action, they will have an army of them. They must have come after hearing the news. By then, there would not be just a thousand people, but tens of thousands of people would arrive and it would only be a cup of tea.
No matter how cruel Mo Dao is, how can he defeat thousands of arrows!
As the saying goes, the foreign emperor will not accept his orders. This eunuch came to my territory with an imperial edict. A hundred Mo Dao and the bright imperial edict can be eaten up in just a moment. When the emperor held him responsible, he said Bian Lingcheng and his party were not seen. What's more, there are tigers and wolves from Anlu Mountain entrenched outside the pass. Before Bian Lingcheng and his party arrived at Tongguan, they were captured alive by the Anlu Mountain troops who had infiltrated. When I got the information and gathered the troops, I quickly went to the Anlu Mountain camp. They tried desperately to rescue the border supervisors, but the battle was fierce. The border supervisors and the Mo Dao team desperately resisted the rebels. Unfortunately, they died for their country and failed to save their own lives!
This is the report that Gao Xianzhi thought of in his heart. It cannot be said to be perfect, but it is definitely well-founded.
But is that really useful? It is easy to eat these hundred Mo Dao, but it is difficult to eat that roll of bright yellow silk. If I really insist on tearing up the roll of silk, I will be no different from An Lushan outside the Pass. I am not a Han to begin with. If I am to be labeled as a rebel, how can future generations have any dignity? The emperor was obviously determined to take action on him. It seemed that among the names of those unjustly killed by emperors and kings in the history books, there would be one more named Gao Xianzhi from today on. Forget it, the same is true for Li Mu who is as strong as Bai Qi. Whether he is foolish and loyal or beheaded, he has been famous and powerful for decades. The lives of those who died in his hands should be repaid. If there is another civil strife in Tongguan now, it will only If An Lushan will be advantaged, then why not let him, Gao Xianzhi, bear all these sins alone? It’s just that I hate that I can’t beat An Lushan so hard that I will be ashamed of Shaanxi County. In addition, I was a hero in this life and died unjustly at Hunjun. In the hands of the traitor, he is really unwilling to accept it. When he reaches the palace of the King of Hell, he will definitely scream that he is wronged. Life is hopeless, but death will satisfy your wish.
I just hope Feng Changqing can help me get rid of this regret!
Gao Xianzhi, who was determined to give up, tidied up his clothes and armor and walked towards Bian Lingcheng. Bian Lingcheng subconsciously took a step back. The first-grade Mo Dao wielders around him took a step forward and approached Bian Lingcheng. The Mo Dao in his hand was He held it tighter and stared at the mighty general who was walking slowly with wary eyes.
Gao Xianzhi looked at the actions of these people, his eyebrows twitched, and he snorted in his heart, after all, a eunuch is just a eunuch, he has no talent! As for the Mo Dao Shou, he just glanced around with disdain. Gao Xianzhi walked five steps in front of Bian Lingcheng. He took a deep breath, held the handle of the knife at his waist with one hand, and opened his legs with the other.
He knelt on his knees, straightened his back, looked directly at the roll of bright yellow satin, opened his mouth, and said word by word:
"Master Gao Xianzhi accepts the order!"
Gao Xianzhi's acceptance of the order was no different from the thunder on the ground. The generals and captains who followed him through life and death were all shocked and confused. What was the commander doing? Why did he receive the order? This was an imperial edict that would kill his head! These upright and loyal men were shocked and rushed forward to pull up the confused coach.
Gao Xianzhi naturally knew what the people below were doing. He didn't get up. He just turned his head, his eyes widened, and shouted:
"Back off!"
At this moment, Gao Xianzhi was kneeling on the ground, but his body was ten thousand feet tall!
Gao Xianzhi was beheaded after all. Although he regretted it, he understood it, but he didn't know it until his death. Feng Changqing, who originally hoped to help him avenge his shame, had already set foot on the underworld by himself. On the way to underworld, if he encountered When arriving at Feng Changqing, Gao Xianzhi must have only said one emotion:
Is this life?
In one day, Bian Lingcheng, who beheaded two famous generals in the world, Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing, was not as excited as he expected. He was now very scared. Gao Xianzhi's laughter and eyes were all that echoed in his mind. He even spent the whole night doing this. Nightmare, the quilt covering him was almost soaked, and he didn't know whether it was cold sweat or yellow urine. He couldn't bear it anymore. Before dawn, he had hundreds of Mo Dao escort him and fled to Chang'an City. In the cold official office, only Leave a note:
"General Li Chengguang temporarily takes charge of the military."
The news that Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing had been unjustly killed spread like crazy throughout the entire army, causing not only a shake in the morale of the army, but also a complete collapse of the entire army, without exaggeration. More than 200,000 people were in panic, and the entire Tongguan was filled with confusion about life and death. It's just that the Tang Dynasty court didn't think it was a big deal to lose two generals with rich combat experience. In Li Longji's heart, such generals were not a handful.
As for the rebels outside Tongguan, they didn't know for a while that the Tang Dynasty would destroy the Great Wall, and they were still arranging their troops in full swing. An Lushan was cautious, so he sent his confidant General Cui Qianyou to personally lead the troops to hold on and execute the The tactics devised by the shogunate were to occupy strategic points, lure the enemy deep, and then cut off their retreat and attack from head to tail in order to completely annihilate the Tang army defending Tongguan.
As for the Yan brothers, who were cited as a serious problem by An Lushan, their situation at the moment is not much better!
The storm is coming, the city is full of wind, and the fallen flowers are red everywhere!
It’s just that the red flowers everywhere are not flower petals, but human blood!
