The Xuanwu Gate is a towering, solid, majestic and towering gate. It is the North Gate of the Taiji Palace. To the north is the Longshou Plain, an open plain with a flat plain reaching the bank of the Wei River. Compared with the Chengtian Gate to the south in the city, it is more suitable for a large army to attack. Therefore, since Taiji
From the day the palace was built, it became the key to the palace city and the place of survival.
At the beginning of the founding of the Tang Dynasty, heavy troops were gathered outside Xuanwu Gate to defend the palace city.
His Majesty Li Er vowed to fight to the death here, killing brothers and brothers, and directly entered the palace city of Dingding. After he succeeded to the throne, he naturally learned his lesson and recruited the children of meritorious nobles to supplement it with the powerful soldiers from Guanzhong to form left and right garrison guards.
On both sides of the Xuanwu Gate are the Suwei Palace.
Later, he selected soldiers who were fierce and good at shooting from the left and right garrison and called them "Hundred Cavalry". He also stationed them in the north of Xuanwu Gate and regarded them as the emperor's eagle dogs.
After several measures, the entire Xuanwu Gate was immediately made weatherproof and impregnable.
But even so, because the position of Xuanwu Gate is too important, once the entire palace city is lost, it will become a prisoner of the rebels. Therefore, whenever there is a slight movement in Xuanwu Gate, the emperor in the palace will be frightened and unable to rest.
So when Li Daliang, the general of Zuowei who was responsible for the defense of Xuanwu Gate and the Duke of Wuyang County, received a report from his soldiers and walked up to the tower of Xuanwu Gate and saw a fire rising into the sky from the Zuotunwei barracks outside the city gate, he was frightened.
The mature and prudent veteran with great achievements was almost heartbroken. While he sent people to the East Palace to report to the prince, he also sent all the soldiers guarding the city to the top of the city.
The noose is "crunching". The twelve-stone bed crossbow uses a winch to draw the string and open the bow. There are seven arrow paths on the crossbow arm, and a giant arrow is placed in the middle arrow path. It is "three feet and five inches long" and "five inches thick".
The iron leaves are feathers, and there are three slightly smaller arrows on the left and right.
As soon as all the arrows were fired, "all the city fortresses were destroyed, and the towers and oars fell down." It was a sharp weapon for attacking and defending the city. Hundreds of soldiers lit torches and held the dark "sky-shaking thunder" in their hands.
Just waiting for the enemy's siege commander to give the order, he lit the fuse and threw it at the bottom of the city. Even the invincible "armored cavalry" could only end up with both men and horses shattered under the violent power of "Zhentian Lei".
The entire Xuanwumen sword was unsheathed and arrows were cocked. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the left and right garrison camps not far away, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
At the same time, celebrity Li Daliang lit the beacon fire on one side of the city tower. The flames rising into the sky immediately woke up the entire palace. Countless imperial guards who were stationed in the palace got up from their beds and followed the captains of each team to rush to the city wall to guard the city.
City gates everywhere.
Although we still haven't seen the worst possible situation, the location of Xuanwu Gate is too important, and the left and right guards guard the two keys of the city gate. The slightest change is enough to cause serious consequences.
It is prudent and cautious, and it is not an exaggeration to make a big show of it.
Starting from the Xuanwu Gate, the entire palace and city were put on tight guard, and then this tense atmosphere spread to the entire Chang'an City.
The captains guarding the city gates from all over the city boarded the city towers, doubled the number of soldiers guarding the city, unsheathed their swords and unloaded their arrows, and captured anyone who approached the city gates. No matter who they were, they would be arrested and imprisoned, and anyone who dared to resist would be shot without mercy!
The army is marching eastward, even the emperor is marching in person, and the entire Guanzhong is empty of troops. At this time, even the slightest danger may make a fatal mistake, who dares to neglect it?
Almost within the span of one stick of incense, from the palace city to the imperial city, and then from the imperial city to various city gates, the entire defense system of Chang'an City was fully operational, and the atmosphere was chilly and tense for a while!
*****
Duke Xiao Yu of the Song Dynasty was awakened from his sleep. He looked vaguely at the concubine next to him who had just been brought into the palace, kneeling on the bedside and waking him up. Her daisy-white and slender body was trembling slightly...
Shaking his head, Xiao Yu said displeasedly: "What time is it? What are you doing?"
I drank a little wine last night and took a few rejuvenation pills. Although I tortured this concubine who was as delicious as a daisy to death, I almost broke my lumbar spine and ran out of oil... so I got up very angry.
The concubine shivered and said in horror: "Just now the housekeeper shouted outside, saying that there was a change in the palace, and asked the head of the family to come into the palace quickly to protect him..."
Xiao Yu stared in confusion, and it took him a while to react.
Changes in the palace?
Entering the palace... escort?!
"oops!"
With a sudden scream, he threw off the quilt and jumped up, jumped off the bed and rushed to the door in one stride... That light figure was even more vigorous than when he was struggling for his life last night.
When I got to the door, I remembered that I was not wearing any clothes. I quickly asked my concubine to get some clothes. I didn’t even bother to look for the official robe. I just put on a suit at random, fastened the buttons and pulled my shoes and ran out. I’ll see you when you get out the door.
When the housekeeper stood at the door with a panicked look on his face, he quickly asked: "What's going on?"
The steward said: "Just now, there was a beacon lighted at the entrance of Xuanwu Gate. It seemed that something had changed. Then all the guards of Chang'an City were dispatched. Now the four gates are tightly closed and the martial law is in full force!"
Xiao Yu's feet gave way and his whole body swayed. Fortunately, the housekeeper's quick eyesight and quick hands helped him, so he didn't fall to the ground...
Regardless of lamenting that the glory was not what it used to be, he exhausted himself after a night of pleasure and hurriedly ordered: "Get your horses ready immediately, I want to enter the palace!"
"The old slave has ordered people to prepare the horses!"
"Let's go!"
Xiao Yu quickly walked out of the back house, and when he reached the courtyard, he got on the horse with the help of his servants. He turned around and ordered his second son Xiao Kai and third son Xiao Yue who had caught up from the back house, saying: "Distribute weapons to the generals and servants.
Strictly guard the mansion. If anyone takes advantage of the situation and robs you, kill them without mercy. You must ensure the safety of the mansion!"
Xiao Kai, Xiao Yue Qiangzi calmly nodded and said: "Father, don't worry, my son will definitely protect the family!"
The words were strong, but in fact they were panicking. They had all experienced the bloody night of the "Xuanwumen Incident" in the New Year. The whole city of Chang'an was in chaos, with swords and swords everywhere. They didn't know who the enemy or their allies were, and the blood was stained red.
The whole city of Chang'an was covered with corpses, and the city gates were filled with corpses...
Is it possible that the "Xuanwumen Incident" will happen again in Chang'an City just after Your Majesty has just launched a personal expedition?
Xiao Yu didn't pay attention to his two frightened sons. Surrounded by his servants, he left the house and rode towards the imperial city.
Along the way, groups of forbidden troops were seen rushing to the city gates in an emergency. Jingzhao Mansion and Wuhou, the guards on the left and right, patrolled the streets and strictly ordered the gates to be closed tightly and no one was allowed to go out. Xiao Yu and his party were intercepted several times.
, negotiated before being released.
After all, Li Ji and Changsun Wuji are now accompanying His Majesty on the Eastern Expedition. He is the one with the highest official position and the most seniority in Chang'an City...
Xiao Yu ordered his people to walk in front holding their own imperial edicts. Whenever there were soldiers who blocked them, they would show their imperial edicts. As expected, the speed was much faster.
After calling the Imperial City, when we arrived at the Chengtian Gate, we remembered that His Majesty Li Er had already marched on the expedition in person, and that the person overseeing the country was His Highness the Crown Prince. He quickly led the people to the east and arrived in front of the East Palace Gate.
When the imperial guards guarding the gate saw Xiao Yu, they did not go in to report, but let him go directly, claiming that His Highness the Crown Prince had an order that Duke Song could directly enter the palace to have an audience after his arrival...
Xiao Yu was about to enter the palace when he saw a group of people coming in from the Yanxi Gate on the east side. They arrived in front of him in a moment. When he took a closer look, it was Fang Jun...
Xiao Yu hurriedly stopped, and before Fang Jun could dismount, he asked urgently: "Does Erlang know what happened?"
Fang Jun ran to the palace gate, kicked off his saddle, jumped off his horse, and threw the reins to the soldiers behind him. He took two steps forward and saw that Xiao Yu had even tied the buttons wrong. It was obvious that he must be in a panic.
Looking like this, he smiled and said: "Song Guogong, don't be nervous, it's just a small scene!"
Xiao Yu was so angry that his beard stood straight up, and said angrily: "Xuanwu Gate is the key to the palace city. Once it is lost, the entire palace city cannot be saved. This is a top priority, and we must not slack off at all. You actually call it a small scene?
"
This stick is truly unworthy of a man!
Seeing Xiao Yu's hair and beard sprouting, Fang Jun hurriedly said: "I just returned to the city from the Youtunwei barracks. I know the cause of the incident. It was because of the fire in the accounting room in the Zuotunwei camp that the Xuanwumen was disturbed."
The defenders. Now that the fire has been put out by the left guard, the whole army is staying in the camp to reorganize, and the right guard is also under martial law to guard against all accidents. Song Guogong can rest assured."
Seeing his strong words and determined look, Xiao Yu felt relieved. The two of them entered the palace side by side and asked, "It's so good, how could the Zuotun Guards catch fire?"
Seeing that two other people actually followed them into the palace gate together, they stopped immediately, frowned and asked: "Who are these two people? At this time, the war is in chaos, and the safety of His Royal Highness is the top priority, and there are many people waiting.