Li Zhi, with the assistance of Xiao Yu, drafted the "Request for Rebellion" and read the "Edict" in public, which made the morale of the Youhou Guards flourish. The whole army was excited and vowed to attack the crown prince Kuang Fu and the King of Jin, in order to complete the legacy of the late emperor. Reshape the glorious and prosperous age.
The troops poured into Chunmingmen in a steady stream, and the heavy rain could not dampen the fighting spirit of the soldiers. The city was filled with flames and the sound of killings, and the battle became intense as soon as it began.
But Li Zhi was still restless.
Yuchi Gong was a fierce general in the world, and few could match him. But when it came to arranging troops and strategizing, he was no match for Li Jing, Li Ji and others. In particular, this kind of street fighting where the army gathered in the city further tested the commander's tactical literacy. But it is by no means the courage of an ordinary man.
Furthermore, when the Guanlong Clan clan raised an army, the army numbered more than 200,000. Throwing a whip could cut off the flow of the Wei River and almost fill the entire Chang'an City. However, in front of the Sixth Army of the East Palace, their heads were bruised and bleeding, and they were even beaten. Fang Jun led his army to cover up and kill the enemy, but was severely defeated.
The power of firearms has shocked the world ever since.
With Li Jing maneuvering his troops like a god and deploying his generals, and supplemented by powerful firearms, how could Yuchi Gong stop him?
If Yuchi Gong is defeated and flees in panic, and is chased by the Sixth Army of the East Palace from behind, can he still cover himself and retreat to Tongguan to defend himself and wait for reinforcements?
But now the Sixth Army of the East Palace is short of major generals. After the war, it has not yet been replenished, and Cheng Yaojin has expressed his neutrality. The emptiness of Chang'an is really a golden opportunity. If it can be decided in a battle, why retreat to Tongguan and wait for reinforcements?
Li Zhi secretly sighed. He knew that his character was not as strong and determined as his father thought. Although he had some means and resourcefulness, he was inevitably in a dilemma when facing major events. He took success and failure too seriously, which was really a big problem. shortcoming.
Chu Suiliang quickly walked in from the outside, raised the battle report in his hand, and said with joy: "Your Highness, the Duke of E sent someone to send the battle report. From the beginning of the war until now, the two sides have fought bloody battles outside the Taiji Palace. The six troops in the East Palace are brave enough to make the right The Houwei suffered considerable losses, but they never used firearms from beginning to end."
Li Zhi stood up suddenly, grabbed the battle report and read it carefully, let out a long breath, clenched his fist and waved it gently, looking excited.
It seems that although the Foundry Bureau hastily rebuilt and resumed work, it lacks funds and materials, which cannot be solved in a short time. There is not enough firearms to replenish it. Even if Li Jing is in charge of commanding the Sixth Army of the East Palace, why should they be afraid?
You need to know that there are already more than 100,000 private soldiers from Shandong and Jiangnan provinces rushing to Guanzhong by land and water. As long as these troops arrive in Guanzhong, it will be the time when the Sixth Army of the East Palace will be destroyed...
He handed the battle report to Xiao Yu, Cui Xin and others beside him, and said to Chu Suiliang: "Let the imperial guard outside send an order to the Duke of E, asking him to continue to work hard. If the post station can be built, I will not hesitate to reward you!"
"Here."
Chu Suiliang agreed, turned around and went out to tell the imperial guards to convey the order to Yuchi Gong.
However, he was not as optimistic as Li Zhi. At present, the bloody battle between the two armies outside Taiji Palace was fierce. Although the Sixth Army in the East Palace did not have enough firearms, they fought fiercely with each other and suffered heavy losses. Yuchi Gong's right Houwei did not take much advantage. It is even further out of reach to enter the Tai Chi Palace.
Moreover, after dawn, the prince will preside over the "big coffin" and read out the memorial in public. After completing the last step before ascending the throne, the morale of the army will definitely be greatly improved, and the officials and generals who were watching before will definitely support it with all their strength when they see that the name has been decided. Prince, this is extremely detrimental to the public opinion of King Jin.
Even though a "legacy edict" has been announced to the world, how much do people believe this "legacy edict"?
As for the so-called prince "poisoning the late emperor" and "persecuting his brothers" in the King of Jin's statement, it is a matter of benevolence and wisdom...
It's a pity that he made a mistake in his original mission, and now he is coerced by the King of Jin and has no choice but to get involved in the battle to seize the direct descendants. He is afraid that if he is not careful, he will be destroyed.
…
Xiao Yu finally read the battle report, put it on the table, and said calmly: "Your Highness is not yet optimistic, the Sixth Army of the East Palace is so powerful that it will be difficult for Duke E to defeat him for a while, but after dawn, the prince will preside over
The 'big coffin' will have a great impact on the officials in the government and the public who are standing by and watching. The crown prince's popularity will definitely increase, and there may not be other generals of the Sixteenth Guards who will look at the scenery, and the road ahead will be difficult."
He felt that Li Zhi was a little blind, so what if the Sixth Army of the East Palace lacked firearms? With a military god like Li Jing sitting in command, he would still be the best in the world, a strong army among strong armies, and Youhou Wei alone would be able to do it
It will be difficult to defeat it completely.
Moreover, the previous plan was to attack the enemy unprepared. Everyone would be happy if they could break into the Taiji Palace to determine the overall situation, but there is a high probability that the attack would not be defeated. At that time, they would have to withdraw from Chang'an and retreat to Tongguan to defend it. Only in this way can we
Everything is foolproof. If you insist on winning a battle, you will easily fall into the huge quagmire of Chang'an and be unable to extricate yourself...
Li Zhi was not a person who couldn't listen to advice. When he calmed down, he realized that he was in a bit of trouble. It was very difficult to get the support of these powerful figures to seize the throne. It was really arrogant to actually try to invade Taiji Palace in one fell swoop to establish victory.
He said seriously: "The Duke of Song Dynasty is right, but I am a little arrogant."
Xiao Yu stroked his beard and said happily: "If there is something, correct it, if there is nothing, encourage it, who can avoid making mistakes? During his lifetime, the late emperor was quite fond of success and had an exaggerated personality. First, Empress Wende gave gentle advice, and later Wei Zheng offended Yan.
The late emperor was able to listen and accept his direct advice, and he changed it. He became more diligent in government, loved the people, and practiced frugality, thus creating this glorious era of Zhenguan in the troubled times. I hope that your highness will follow suit in the future, and the imperial hegemony will naturally be around the corner."
He was very pleased.
The reason why he gave up the prince and joined the king of Jin was not only because the prince's national policy of weakening the clan was contrary to Xiao Yu's own interests, but also because the prince not only followed Fang Junyan as his confidant, but even the status of rising stars like Ma Zhou in front of the prince.
They all gradually improved, causing Xiao Yu's status in the East Palace to drop again and again.
Losing the right to speak, one cannot guarantee one's own interests, let alone have any political ambitions. How can one wait for the prince to be cast aside after he ascends the throne, and then raise a sword to chop down Jiangnan clan members one by one, killing hundreds of Jiangnan clan clan members?
Is the foundation of the family fortune accumulated over the years completely cut off?
That was something that neither Emperor Sui Yang nor the previous two generations of heroes had accomplished, so Xiao Yu naturally refused to sit still and wait for death.
Even if he wanted to sit back and wait for death, the reason why the Jiangnan nobles elected him as their leader was precisely because his high position in the court could bring great benefits to everyone and protect everyone's basic family property. If Xiao Yu couldn't do it,
At this point, why should the Lanling Xiao family lead Jiangnan?
The world is prosperous, and everyone is here for profit.
Now that the King of Jin can humbly accept advice, his status in the future is affirmed. This is what he expects.
*****
The towering Xuanwu Gate was shrouded in heavy rain. Although lanterns were burning above and below the city, the dim yellow light was blocked by the rain. Li Daozong stood in the barracks below the city with his hands clasped, standing in front of the window and looking up at the dark rain curtain. The tall tower towering directly into the clouds made my heart tremble.
Almost instantly, the late emperor's "edict" and the message of crusade against the prince spread throughout Taiji Palace and outside. It can be seen that the huge Taiji Palace has already become a sieve, with collusion inside and outside, and countless people with uncertain positions. Palace officials, internal servants, imperial guards, etc. Even officials, concubines, princes, princesses... Whoever is on which side is like a light in the rain curtain, swaying dimly and making it difficult to see clearly.
Of course, this was not the focus of Li Daozong's concern. He did not even pay attention to the extraordinary and impassioned message from the King of Jin. What he cared about most was the so-called "edict of the late emperor".
Did the late emperor leave any edicts?
If so, why was the imperial edict in the hands of the King of Jin and not in the hands of Li Ji and Li Xiaogong, who represented the leaders of the court and the clan?
Li Daozong considered himself a pure minister. He did not care about title, official position, wealth, or power. He only knew that he was a loyal minister of the late emperor and would abide by the imperial edict of the late emperor.
As long as the edict was true, no matter who the prince was, who the king was, or whether the country was stable, he would still use his life to fulfill the late emperor's will.
Although he agreed to the prince before, that was because the late emperor had not left any posthumous edict. Without a posthumous edict, it would be natural for the prince to ascend the throne. But if there is a posthumous edict, no matter who is included in the posthumous edict, he, Li Daozong, will defend it to the death.
"Commander, the Prince of Hejian County would like to see you."
The soldiers reported at the door.
Li Daozong raised his eyebrows, looked away from the tower in the rain, and said, "If you please, make another pot of tea and bring it over."
"Here."
The soldiers retreated, and after a moment, Li Xiaogong, who was dressed in the robes of a county prince, stepped inside. The soldiers offered tea and left, closing the door.