Chapter 358 Mawei Slope (I)

The north of Huayin County is about fifty miles away from Tongguan. To the north is the towering Qinling Mountains. The mountains in this area are steep and steep, with abrupt and strange shapes, forming huge valleys. The valleys are lush and the streams are gurgling, but the land is very barren, with only some small villages that rely on the mountains to eat the mountains.

In one of the valleys, there is a small village called Hanzhuang. Most of the people in the village make a living by collecting herbs and hunting, and live a closed and peaceful life.

But on this day, the peaceful life of the villagers was disrupted, and a huge army suddenly drove to their village and set up camp.

The village chief of Hanzhuang often goes to Chang'an to sell medicine. He knows that a large army has been heading to Tongguan in the past few months, but no army is stationed halfway. One day, the village chief was invited by soldiers. After he comes back, he will never say a word about this army, no matter who he wants, even his wife and father.

Fortunately, the army stationed here did not interfere with their lives, and it was even quieter than their village, making people wonder if it would be an empty camp.

This army was the Anxi Army that drove from Fengxiang. They walked at night and hid in the morning, and drove to Huayin County in just one day and one night, hiding in this valley.

This day was the sixth day of the sixth month, and it was also the fifth day after Geshuhan's army left Tongguan.

A cavalry scout rushed from the east. He jumped off his horse and entered the military camp, and ran straight towards the commander's tent in a panic.

"General, there is an emergency military situation!"

The scout ran into the coach's tent and said to Li Qing, who was leaning on the chair to read a book: "General, there is a rebel from outside Tongguan, about 10,000 people."

"I understand, let's explore again!"

The scout took the order and left, but Li Qing slowly closed the book, and his original relaxed expression gradually became solemn. Although history was two years ahead of schedule, it did not deviate from its track, and everything did not coincide. If it was a coincidence, then this coincidence would be too strange.

It was time for him to take action. He slowly walked to the tent door and stared at a ray of setting sun in the distance. The fiery red light spread on the Guanzhong Plain, but in Li Qing's eyes, they were not flames, but the blood of the 300,000 soldiers.

He knew that another crushing defeat of the Tang soldiers outside Tongguan was about to happen. Although he knew, he did not stop it. Perhaps this was the environment changing people. In more than ten years of cruel political struggle, his heart had gradually become cold and hard, and he had no sympathy. He needed this failure of the Tang army before it could be his turn to appear on the stage of history. Moreover, from a certain perspective, Yang Guozhong and Geshuhan were also planning in the middle.

Just as he was about to enter the camp, a low voice suddenly sounded behind him, "General, I have something to look for you!"

Li Qing turned around and saw that it was his deputy general Li Siye. His face was melancholy and his eyes were a little sad.

"Come in! Come in and talk."

Li Qing held his shoulder and let him into the big tent. The two of them sat down. A personal soldier came in to serve tea. Li Qing picked up the teacup and glanced at him quickly. Seeing that he seemed to be a little heavy, he couldn't help but smile and said, "What's the matter that makes our iron man so worried?"

"Aren't the general worried? The key to soldiers is speed and victory with strangeness. Geshuhan led a 300,000 army to go east slowly, and he could still win repeatedly. Aren't the rebels just waiting there to kill him? He wouldn't be able to see such an obvious plan to lure the enemy?"

Li Siye sighed, "I'm worried that Cui Ganyou will take a surprise troops around the small road to capture Tongguan. If the defenders are negligent in defense, if Tongguan is lost, my Tang Dynasty will be over!"

Li Qing smiled and said, "Siye has a clear idea and it is expected that the enemy will be ahead. It's good! I just received the information that Cui Ganyou, a surprise soldier of about 10,000 people, has arrived in Tongguan."

"What!" Li Siye stood up suddenly, "That general, why don't we go to help Tongguan? Do you see him missing?"

Li Qing glanced at him but didn't say anything. Li Siye sat down dejectedly. He suddenly understood something. Li Qing had been stationed in Huayin. Did he know that this would be the result?

At this moment, he was confused and looked at Li Qing in a daze. He couldn't say a word. Li Qing slowly walked to him, pinched his shoulder, and walked slowly to the tent door. Looking at the last ray of sunset was swallowed by the mountains. After a long time, his voice was hoarse: "I am just like you, both loyal to the Tang Dynasty, and I hope that the Kaiyuan prosperous era will be reappeared, but my Tang Dynasty has long been terminally ill. From top to bottom, it is filled with rotten odor. Only by killing it and cutting off all the rotten muscles can the Tang Dynasty regain its vitality. Just like the evening sun in front of you, although it falls into darkness now, it will rise tomorrow, and it will be a vigorous sun."

Li Qing turned around slowly, stared at Li Siye, his eyes shining with a strange look, and said word by word: "I hope you don't object to what I want to do."

Although Li Siye couldn't understand what he was saying, he felt Li Qing's sincerity, especially when he said the five words "loyalty to the Tang Dynasty", his eyes were filled with nostalgia, which deeply moved Li Siye. He nodded silently and expressed his support for his decision.

Suddenly, there were bursts of screams outside the door. Li Qing was surprised. He walked out of the tent a few steps and said angrily: "Why are you panic?"

"General, look!" A personal soldier pointed to the distance. Li Qingshun looked at his fingers and saw a faint light of fire in the distance. At this time, Li Siye followed him. He was suddenly shocked and blurted out: "That's Huayin County!"

"Come, go and check the situation!" Li Qing turned around and ordered his personal soldiers. He was a little nervous. There was no soldiers in Guanzhong, but a fire suddenly broke out in Huayin County. He was worried that An Lushan's army had already arrived.

Before the person who went to explore had left, a scout scattered across the periphery sped over and dismounted, half-kneeling on the ground to report: "Report to the general that Huayin County was looted by the defeated army in Tongguan, and the entire county town was burned!"

Li Qing and Li Siye looked at each other. They realized at the same time that something might have happened in Tongguan. At this moment, another team of scouts rushed over. The rapid sound of horse hooves broke through the dim twilight. They brought news that almost shocked everyone: the general Huo Buguiren of Tongguan surrendered to the rebels, and Tongguan was lost!

About a quarter of an hour later, all the generals of the Anxi Army, Duan Xiushi, Nan Jiyun, Xi Yuanqing, Tian Zhen, Li Fei Yuanli, He Lou Yurun and others, spontaneously came to the commander's tent.

The 300,000 Tang troops have many dangers. The rebels occupied Tongguan. Now there is only one army left in Guanzhong. It is time for them to step forward and take the lead.

"General, please give the order! Let's take back Tongguan while the enemy's foothold is not stable!"

"General, Tongguan has been lost. We should hurry to Chang'an and rectify the defenses of Chang'an!"

Everyone asked for troops to fight with each other.

"Bang!" Li Qing slapped the table hard and shouted sternly, "Shut up!"

The tent suddenly became quiet, and everyone looked at the commander with a eager eye. When he spoke, Li Qing frowned. He paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his back. After a while, he said to everyone in a deep voice: "Although our Anxi army is not large, we are all experienced and can fight ten, especially our most elite Modao Army, who is the nemesis of the Iron Cavalry of Youzhou in Anlushan. Not only that, we have one of the biggest advantages, that is, we are hiding here, no one knows. The rebels think that Guanzhong is empty and must be unprepared. As long as we send out a surprise army, we will be able to succeed in one battle."

Seeing that everyone was already moving, he said decisively: "So now there is only one word: 'Wait', waiting for the best opportunity. Without my order, no one is allowed to send troops."

All the generals thought that what Li Qing said was reasonable, and saw that he issued a strict order, they discussed for a while, and slowly dispersed.

Only Duan Xiushi walked the slowest until everyone walked away. He walked around and came back. He saluted and said, "General, I have something to say."

Li Qing was examining his Guanzhong sand table in the tent. When he saw him coming in, he immediately stood up and smiled, "Seeing your slow-moving look, I know you are coming back. Why, do you have any good suggestions?"

Duan Xiushi slowly walked to Li Qing and saw him planting a small red flag near Xianyang. He suddenly smiled and said, "The real reason why the general refused to send troops now is probably because he wanted to use the rebels to force the emperor out of Chang'an!"

Li Qing didn't say anything, he picked up a small red flag and inserted it into Hanzhong. Then he glanced at Duan Xiushi slightly, smiled faintly and said, "How do you know?"

Duan Xiushi gently stroked his black beard and smiled, "I have been with the general for so many years. How can I not know one or two. From the general's night to take Fengxiang, I know that the general's intention is not in Longyou. Judging from the current deployment, the general seems to have known that there will be this ending, but he does not take advantage of the situation to take Tongguan. There is only one explanation, let the rebels enter the pass and use them to force the emperor out of Chang'an."

Speaking of this, he picked up the wooden stick and inserted it into the small flag near Xianyang and said, "I'm right to force the emperor out of Chang'an and complete the general's last move here?"

"You're right."

Li Qing gently patted the wooden rack of the sand tray and sneered coldly: "I made this sand tray two years ago. I have been waiting for this day for two years."

He suddenly turned around and looked at Duan Xiushi, smiled slightly and said, "I'm worried that I can't find a confidant to do something big for me. Isn't there one in front of me now?"

Duan Xiushi immediately knelt down halfway, pressed his hand on his chest and shouted: "Duan Xiushi is willing to serve the general!"

"Okay, I'll give you a thousand troops. After the emperor leaves Chang'an, you will immediately enter Chang'an."

Li Qing's voice suddenly became lower, his eyes slowly narrowed into a slit, and a strong murderous intent flashed in his eyes. He attached himself to Duan Xiushi's ear and whispered: "Whoever has not escaped the prince and grandson, except for the Sining King, you will take them all out of Chang'an in the name of protection, kill them all for me halfway, and leave no one, just say that they are encountering rebel bandits!"

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Chang'an, since Geshuhan led the army to the east, good news has been frequent. Chang'an citizens are looking forward to the government's army recovering the Dongdu and bringing An Lushan's head back to the public. But after waiting for a few days, there is no news about Geshuhan. On that morning, with the first batch of soldiers who fled from Tongguan appearing at the Chang'an city gate, the news of Tongguan's loss spread throughout the city. Chang'an began to panic. First of all, the price of rice rose from 300 cigarettes per bucket to 200 cigarettes per bucket within two hours. Despite this, Chang'an citizens still ran out and rushed to buy frantically, not only grain, salt, oil, cloth, vegetables, and all essential daily necessities, but prices soared and the people rushed to buy first.

By noon, the entire Chang'an people began to appear in a steady stream at the Chang'an city gate. They supported the elderly and the young, either sitting in horse-drawn carriages, ox carriages, or walking, running westward without target.

In the afternoon, the shops began to close, and more and more people left Chang'an. All kinds of news about An Lushan's massacre were circulating in various Chang'an buildings. Some people began to cry and run wildly. A hysterical fear filled the hearts of the people in Chang'an.

At this time, the government posted a notice of peace, saying that Geshuhan's 300,000 troops were returning to help quickly and would retake Tongguan soon. Please be at ease.

After the notice was posted, the situation in Chang'an stabilized, and the rice prices began to fall to a thousand quotas per bull. Some citizens who were preparing to flee also unloaded their belongings from the carriage and waited and made plans.

A carriage was escorted by hundreds of attendants and drove along Zhuque Street towards Xingqing Palace. This was the carriage of the right prime minister Yang Guozhong. At this time, the first minister of the Tang Dynasty was huddling in a corner of the carriage and thinking hard about countermeasures. Of course, it was not how to withdraw the troops, but how to deal with Li Longji's blame and clear his responsibilities.

Yang Guozhong was shocked and scared. It was because Tongguan was lost, and there was no soldier in Guanzhong to resist, but he was afraid that Li Longji would let him take responsibility.

In fact, he had to go to Xingqing Palace at this time. Li Longji issued three imperial edicts in a row to urge him to meet him. He avoided the first two because he maintained order on the street. When he went home for lunch, he happened to run into the third imperial edict. This was similar to Geshuhan's five gold medals.
Chapter completed!