Tianbao finally did not make it to its sixteenth year after fifteen years.
The emperor who felt that all the important things in his life had been accomplished, just like his ancestors, began to want to enjoy the fruits of the glory of the Tang Dynasty. The death of his blood brother made the emperor unhappy because of the death of his blood brother. Since he had gone against heaven His life extension was successful. In order to dispel the bad luck and the local officials gave him an auspicious treasure, he changed the year of Kaiyuan and used the year of Tianbao, looking forward to enjoying his long life and enjoying all the happiness on earth. , to be the true Lord of Long Live.
The paradise world was destined not to last forever. In the fifteenth year, it was cut off at the waist.
Zhang Xun and Mo Sheng in the dilapidated thatched hut are no longer in the age of Tianbao, but in the Yuanzai period of virtue. Mo Sheng told Zhang Xun the ins and outs of the Tongguan Battle in detail. He did not hide any details he could tell. As for those inconveniences, it was still the same sentence. There are differences between immortals and mortals, and it is useless to talk more.
This is the story of Tongguan, and the story of Chang'an has just begun.
On the night of the tenth day of June, a day and night had passed since Tongguan City was destroyed. The peaceful fire at the top of Tongguan City that had been burning for more than six months had been extinguished for a day, and it was probably going to be extinguished tonight. The person who lit the fire would not be able to come even if he thought about it. Died by the rebels.
On June 9, Tongguan was lost, Ge Shuhan was captured, and three or four hundred thousand defenders perished. Xuanzong already knew this shocking battle report without going through the beacon tower. After all, Tongguan was only half a day away from Kyoto by riding a fast horse. Since the Anlu Mountain Rebellion, the peak fire towers from Tongguan to Chang'an have been relit. Every evening, the first fire is lit in Tongguan City, and then at the intermediate stations until the last stop outside Chang'an City. Seeing the billowing smoke, people here in Kyoto knew that everything was safe and sound today. The emperor was at ease, the officials were at ease, and the people were at ease!
But on the evening of June 9th, no one lit the peace fire at the fire tower at the top of Tongguan City. The people looked eastward eagerly, but could no longer see the familiar smoke. Now, everyone, high and low, was anxious! Has Tongguan been lost? Are the rebels really going to invade? What should we do now? Can the defenders in Chang'an City stop those barbarians? I heard that those barbarians are savages who eat meat and drink blood. They are invulnerable with three heads and six arms. Do the emperor and those officials have any countermeasures?
Naturally, the common people do not deserve to know the affairs of the official family. In the court that night, the current Prime Minister Yang, who usually strategizes and wins a victory thousands of miles away, is blushing at the moment, facing the increasing pressure in the court. Unstoppable panic and anger, he went from accusing and blaming to crying bitterly.
"Everyone, please be patient and listen to me. In the past ten years, some officials have continuously accused An Lushan of treason, and I have warned him from time to time. However, you have always refused to believe me and falsely accused me of jealousy. Loyalty. That traitor in An Lushan even ignored Heaven's grace. His Majesty was deceived and was not aware of it for a while. We, the ministers, are powerless and do not dare to overstep. Coupled with General Geshu's command error, we ended up in this situation today. This is not It's all my fault, Yang's."
When the emperor on the dragon throne heard this, his eyes turned cold and he snorted softly. Gao Lishi, who was waiting beside him, felt the murderous aura and immediately stepped forward, stared at Yang Guozhong and shouted:
"Be bold!"
After Yang Guozhong heard the scolding, he immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowed like pounding garlic, and begged for mercy. Yang Guozhong's words were a serious crime of beheading, and daring to criticize the emperor's decision was already a supreme crime, but he still had to take a gamble, risk his life, and risk his life to survive!
An Lushan wanted to rebel, although it was due to the emperor's negligence, but more importantly it was his instigation. Could it be that if Yang Guozhong didn't force him, An Lushan would really not rebel? Then there was the false accusation of Feng Changqing and Gao Xianzhi. That was also the emperor's order! Finally, there is the pustular brother Shuhan. Hundreds of thousands of people were tricked, and they all lived to the age of a dog. Nowadays, these sanctimonious officials in the court are always scrambling to take advantage of An Lushan. Now they are not willing to add insult to injury to me, Yang. They all want to take action on me, trying to pour all the dirty water on me. Thousands of people in the Tang Dynasty are saying that I am not that stupid. This is a reputation that will last for thousands of years. I cannot bear it, and I cannot afford it! I have to think of a way to drag someone into the water. It's useless no matter how many people are on the wall. We can only find the backbone, His Majesty the Emperor. After all, in the final analysis, you are the one who makes the decision and the main responsibility lies with you. We are all slaves in doing things. He was also afraid that the emperor would kill him immediately after saying these words, but he still wanted to bet that it would be useful for the emperor to keep him in such a situation. Secondly, there was the guarantee of his beloved sister. He hesitated about this method thousands of times in his mind, and finally decided to live towards death and take a gamble!
However, in the current situation, just shirking responsibility with words is of little use. How the court should deal with the threat of the rebels next, and how your Majesty makes decisions is the key! The tricks to seek death also need to be cracked, which Yang Guozhong had already thought about. He kept kowtowing. While replying:
"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down! I still have something to say..."
The emperor was speechless. Gao Lishi observed his words and said coldly:
"Tell me!"
At this moment in the court, you can hear a needle drop. The emperor is angry and lays down millions of corpses!
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I am scared! In my opinion, the current situation has reached this point. Tongguan has lost Chang'an and is in danger. In order to prevent the traitors from invading His Majesty's beauty, and in addition to the severe summer heat in Chang'an City, I am brave enough to ask Your Majesty to move to Shu. Although Shu is remote and barren and not as safe as Kyoto, the people of Shu have been yearning for heaven's grace for a long time. The scenery there is pleasant and the golden breeze blows refreshingly. The guilty minister also has some old memories and favors there. , the army is arranged, and the palace attendants are also complete. I believe that your majesty and the imperial concubine will be happy. As for the rebels, the guilty minister will definitely cooperate with the nobles in the palace and lead all the soldiers and civilians in Kyoto to defend the dignity of the Tang Dynasty to the death. I hope they will have the luck of the emperor. With blessings, An’s head will be beheaded in a short time, and then the guilty minister will speed up in person and deliver An’s head to His Majesty’s Palace as soon as possible!”
Yang Guozhong's words were sincere and full of energy. Not to mention all the civil and military officials, even the emperor felt physically and mentally comfortable after hearing this. It not only solved the current situation but also flattered the Tian family's face. If you don't say that he can be the prime minister, he is obviously a runaway dog, but he is so angry that he can swallow thousands of miles like a tiger. He is really another Li Linfu who talks sweetly and is swordy!
The emperor moved his body, leaned back on the chair again, waved his hand, and said in a nonchalant tone:
"Get up and say something!"
Yang Guozhong, who was lying on the ground, let out a sigh of relief. He had won the bet and thanked Tian En. He stood up again, and sure enough, no one dared to criticize him in the subsequent confrontation between the emperor and his ministers! This level has been passed. As for what happens next, he still has to think of ways to stabilize his head!
The emperor understood very well and listened to Yang Guozhong's advice. He was indeed the person who understood his thoughts best. He had never thought of giving up Chang'an temporarily and going out to avoid the limelight. It's just that the emperor's status is like this, and he is a man with lofty ambitions. The words "escape" cannot come out of his mouth. Although Yang Guozhong dared to criticize me tonight, he also spoke up for me. As for why he came to Shu, he was an emperor who knew the general trend of the world very well. Because of his understanding, he understood the feasibility of Yang Guozhong's strategy. After all, not just anyone can guess what the Tian family is thinking. Yang Guozhong, this slave, is really useful!
First of all, Shu is thousands of miles away from Chang'an City, and it is within Yang Guozhong's sphere of influence. Because Yang Guozhong was given Jingjie as the envoy of Jiannan Festival by the emperor, and later because of the conquest of Nanzhao, Yang Guozhong had some military forces. The land of Shu can be regarded as his old territory. Whether it is military affairs or civilians, he has invaded and raped it for decades, and everything is under his control. Secondly, the location of Shu is safe. The basin is surrounded by mountains on all sides, which is a natural and independent geographical environment. It has been easy to defend and difficult to attack since ancient times. In addition, the Jiannan Jiedushi is also one of the more powerful Jiedushi in Xuanzong's hands. There are more than 30,000 soldiers stationed all year round. If an edict is issued, hundreds of thousands of troops can be gathered in a short time. Although it is difficult to raise troops to quell the rebellion, It's not enough, but it's not a problem to keep one party safe. Finally, Shu has been known as the land of abundance since ancient times. There has been no war in the past few decades. It was already rich and bloated under the management of Yang Guozhong and others, and it was more than enough to support a fleeing emperor's group. Moreover, since An Lushan raised troops under the banner of "Qing Jun's Side", Yang Guozhong sent people to build more cities in Jiannan and stock up on supplies, planning to run here to take refuge one day when he couldn't stand it anymore. He never thought that not only would he need to escape for his life, but also the emperor with all the power in the world would need to escape for his life. Tonight's proposal made Weiyu's previous diligent management even more unpredictable! It was so prescient! As for the beautiful mountains and rivers that dazzle others, it would be better for the little girl from Shu to take advantage of the emperor's taste!
As soon as Yang Guozhong put forward this almost perfect "summer escape plan", what happened to the officials who were clamoring just now? Most of the officials now became submissive and couldn't even make a sound for a long time. Yang Guozhong not only paved the emperor's retreat perfectly, but also pointed out the direction for these wallflowers. These people immediately began to make plans in their hearts. After the court, they hurried home to pack their belongings and be ready to flee with the emperor at any time. Yang Xiangguo is really a benefactor. Did my words just now seem too abrupt and fierce? This matter has come to an end. I must prepare a generous gift and go to the door to plead guilty in person. I hope that Mr. Xiangguo will have a lot of people and will not make it difficult for me to wait.
At this moment, everyone in the court, from the prime minister to the secretary, wanted to leave the court immediately and go home to run their business. However, at this moment, there happened to be someone who was not going to cause trouble, so he interrupted with no confidence:
"Your Majesty is also requested to recruit those who dare to die in the city today, as well as all the court officials and their children to send out troops to prevent it!"
Oh, what nonsense is this? Who is speaking? Come on, how did you get into this hall? The civil and military officials couldn't help but curse in their hearts, and immediately followed the sound and saw a man wearing a green robe with his head raised, standing slightly behind a group of purple robes.
Xuanzong was in a good mood at the moment. Yang Guozhong had planned an escape route for him. He no longer had to consider the eventuality. At this time, someone else proposed to stick to his highness. This shocked the world and the emperor suddenly became very interested in this person. Although He may not really stick to it, but hearing someone from His Highness say such courageous words makes his blood boil. Well, I, the Tang Dynasty son, are not all cowards!
"Who is it that your Highness is speaking to?"
After listening to the emperor's golden words, the civil and military officials automatically made room and exposed the little green-robed sesame official in the main hall. All the eyes were on him, as if he was about to be burned to death!
"Your Majesty, your Majesty, I am Gao Shi, the grandson of Gao Kan, the governor of Anton, who is temporarily occupying the position of supervisory censor. What I just said is indeed your Majesty's memorial!"
High fitness? Who is this person? Gao Kan had vaguely heard of it. When did a small supervisory censor become so tough? Is this true ignorance or is it just a deliberate act of embarrassment for our lack of courage? At that moment, all the civil and military officials of His Highness became very hostile to this unknown person who appeared out of nowhere!
The emperor was very happy. Although he had never heard of this person, it did not prevent him from feeling happy from the bottom of his heart. In the face of a formidable enemy, this old censor, a scholar, dared to summon the emperor and ministers to gather in the court and swear to defend the city to the death. He really brought glory to the scholars all over the world and made the Tang Empire look good! I’ve made a note of this person, he’ll be of great use in the future!
To escape or to defend the city, that is the question.
Two choices were placed before Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. Which one would the emperor choose? You know, it takes great courage to defend the city. If it had been 20, 30 or even more than ten years ago, this emperor who was unwilling to accept destiny would still have had this determination. But it was already Tianbao's fifteenth year, and the ferocity and cruelty in the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty had long been worn away by the years. The hot springs are like silk that can melt thousands of years of ice, and the beauty is like water that can penetrate the steel of a thousand hammers! The desperate Saburo back then is already an old man at the age of seventy-one. What's even more terrible is that the Taishi Ling Li Xianshi's comments bombarded the tower he had finally squeezed out into powder. The comments showed that the city of Chang'an was destined to be lost in his hands. As for the discussion between the emperor and his ministers in the palace tonight, the emperor was decadent at the beginning. He just didn't think of a way out for a while. The so-called suggestions between the emperor and his ministers were just a formality. Gao Shi was an unexpected surprise, but his passion could not shake the fundamentals. , God’s will is like this, I can’t change it!
He comforted the man named Gao Shi with joy. The emperor seemed particularly happy and in high spirits. He advised his ministers to follow Gao Shi's example and immediately decided to issue an edict and stick to it, as if he were the emperor's commander. He even ordered Gao Lishi to invite the palace music saint Li Guinian and several people to arrange manpower immediately. I will have a banquet for all the ministers tonight. I will make an exception and play "Nancy Clothes and Feather Clothes Song" to wish the Chang'an garrison a victory and defeat the Hulu. !
The ministers in the court were confused by the emperor's mysterious operation. Didn't they basically reach a consensus just now? Should the monarch and his ministers strategically abandon Chang'an first to avoid disaster in Shu? Why did a man named Gao Shi suddenly appear and cause everything to turn upside down? Could it be that everyone has misunderstood His Majesty’s thoughts? Was the emperor prepared to hold on from the beginning? Do you really want me to wait and fight to the death with those despicable barbarians? What should I do? As for the famous "Divine Music of Colorful Clothes", it has always been a rare opportunity to appreciate it. Only a few of the hundred or so people in the hall have the chance to appreciate it, and it is only in its current form. Who has the heart to focus on singing and dancing! Saving your life is what matters!
Although in the court at this moment, all the ministers and officials were on pins and needles, but no one dared to disobey the emperor's order. Didn't you see that even Yang Xiangguo sat down at the table obediently, and the others did not dare to show any displeasure? , all bent down to salute and thank the king for his kindness. Not long after, the banquet was arranged by the eunuchs and maids, and the delicacies were delicious. All the court officials were seated in order, but the censor who had just made a big splash was now assigned to the emperor's subordinate position. The first person to sit across from each other! Facing the majestic imperial favor that was so close at hand, Gao Shi wanted to act as indifferent as his former friend Li Bai, but he was not Li Bai after all. He tried his best to remain calm. It turned out that being favored by the emperor was not as wonderful as he imagined!
It was the ninth night of June that year, and the moon was as bright as silver. Xuanzong held a banquet for all the ministers in the palace. Brothers Li Guinian, Li Pengnian and Li Henian also entered the palace according to the order. They each performed their duties and showed their abilities. For a time, the sound of music in the court hall rippled around the beams, and fairies curled up gracefully. As they danced, the sound of silk and bamboo could be heard throughout the hall. During the banquet, the king and his ministers exchanged glasses of wine and talked happily, enjoying themselves happily. A peaceful and peaceful time.
The royal wine is so fragrant, the dance music is so wonderful, the white snow on the singer's chest is so dazzling, red and green, I will not hesitate to get drunk tonight, and I will not hesitate to enjoy the light of time. However, everyone here has their own secrets, and their thoughts have long been focused on their own private goods. They only exchange casual greetings with each other, and the singing and dancing are all true, and the calculations in their hearts are true. It's commonplace, just annoying but not surprising. The hundreds of thousands of butcher knives in Anlu Mountain cannot be resolved by this graceful dance music!
At this moment, Emperor Xuanzong was asking about his highness, Gao Shi, and found out that he was a Jinshi in the eighth year of Tianbao and was awarded the title of Fengqiu County Lieutenant. Later, he went to the border and followed Ge Shuhan, the military governor of Hexi Province, and served as secretary-general. He also returned to Beijing with his brother Shuhan last year. He was originally assisting his brother Shuhan in guarding Tongguan. Unexpectedly, his brother Shuhan made a mistake in his command. Gao Shi and others behind the scenes saw that the situation was over and fled. Gao Shi also immediately fled back to Chang'an. In the city, after hearing that the emperor summoned all the officials to go to court to discuss matters, Gao Shi, who had too many secrets to report, immediately went to court. He is a passionate man with a heart for the world. Over the years he has been in the frontier army and has developed a sharp mind and courage. Although he is fifty-one years old, he still has a burning heart. It's just that others have little say and little foundation, and have little say in this court. That ground-breaking remark was only shouted out after thinking about it and thinking about it again!
After gaining the emperor's appreciation, he sat in the most prominent position. The emperor was not in a hurry to ask about the war in Tongguan, but followed the custom among literati and exchanged poems and articles. Gao Shi is a very smart man. I will say whatever the emperor asks, and I will never say a word if he doesn't ask. When the emperor heard that the song "Yan Ge Xing" that came out a few years ago was written by the person in front of him, he was even more shocked. Just those two sentences, "The warriors are half dead in front of the army, and the beauties are still singing and dancing under the tent." But they are just like the scene in the palace at the moment. Both the monarch and the minister were foxes for thousands of years, so they did not feel embarrassed and continued to chat with peaceful expressions.
"Oh? Aiqing is actually an old acquaintance of Li Twelve, the man who killed a thousand swords, and was tricked by him into doing that wonderful thing of seeking immortality and seeking immortality! Hahaha, interesting, interesting, really interesting!"
When he heard that Gao Shi had traveled with Li Bai in his early years, traveling around the Liang and Song Dynasties, drinking wine, watching prostitutes, shooting and discussing poetry, and later traveled across mountains and rivers to find fairy grass, refine elixirs, and visit immortals, the emperor couldn't help but be very interested. Recalling The old friend also had many emotions. That person who is so crazy that he is so crazy makes people both love and hate him at the same time!
"Back to Your Majesty, after so many years, I feel really ashamed to think about it now!"
Gao Shi knew that his friendship with the emperor was not that good. Whether he was praising or ridiculing, Li Bai was not someone he could criticize now. After all, everyone in the world knew that the emperor and Li Bai fell in love and killed each other!
"I wonder if Aiqing finally visited the immortal?"
The emperor drank a cup and continued to ask with interest.
"Returning to Your Majesty, I am stupid. There are three people in the group. They are not as handsome as Brother Li and not as talented as Brother Du. I have been searching for several months. Although they were finally found in a disheveled and miserable state, I think that this group of people is actually the most important person in my life. Happy news. Although the journey is difficult, it opens my eyes. I think back to the past, living alone in one place is really a waste of time. As for the immortals who come and go, I can't say that I can't see them or haven't seen them. They are really ordinary people, and they may not have the opportunity. Know yourselves!”
Talking about that journey to seek immortality, Gao Shi rarely forgot his restraint, as if the person in the palace was no longer a noble person, but more like an ordinary old man chatting about everyday things.
"Oh? Seeing is seeing, not seeing is not seeing. Why does Aiqing feel that it is not accurate?"
The emperor was also very interested by these words. Gao Shi didn't dare to tell anyone, let alone lie, so he answered quickly.
"Your Majesty, it's not that I mean to deceive, it's just that there were a lot of strange things in that line, and now that I think about it, it's really different from the norm. But if you have to say that it is an immortal style, it is very different from the immortals who are usually praised. As graceful as a startled dragon, I have never encountered those immortals who are graceful as dragons and ride on the wind, but miraculous and bizarre encounters do happen occasionally!"
"Interesting, interesting. My dear, why don't you tell me how weird it is? I'm very curious!"
The emperor seemed to be very interested in these illusory and fairy things. He heard Gao Shi's story today and was attracted by its content. Firstly, he wanted to hear more about the madman's story. Secondly, he was also thirsty for knowledge about the fairy things. For a moment, not only were the songs and dances of those warblers and birds in the palace forgotten, but Anlu Mountain, who was approaching the city at any time, was also forgotten!
At this time, in the Daming Palace, on the golden lacquered dragon throne, there sat a king who looked down upon the world. Underneath, singing and dancing are flourishing, sleeves are fluttering; bells are ringing and chimes are ringing, and music is melodious. All the civil and military officials smiled happily and exchanged cups for cups. Sandalwood was lit on the platform base, and the smoke filled the air. Deep in the palace, light in joy.
What a great Tang Dynasty costume song!
