The rain fell, the Wei River surged, and the city of Xianyang was shadowy. The vast night shrouded a wasteland on the south bank of the Wei River. Under the fallen weeds washed away by the rain, the debris of Qin bricks and Han tiles were mixed in. This was once the site of Chang'an of the Han Dynasty.
city.
The Xianyang Bridge spans the Wei River, and the river flows under the bridge. You can look at the ancient land of the Qin and Han Dynasties, and the Chang'an City that was rebuilt in the Sui Dynasty in the distance.
In the third year of Jianyuan of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, a bridge was built on the Wei River. Because it was opposite the Bianmen on the north side of Chang'an City in the Han Dynasty, it was called "Bianqiao".
It's called "Xianyang Bridge".
Compared with the Zhongwei Bridge, the Xianyang Bridge is wider and stronger, but it is slightly farther from Chang'an City. Therefore, it has become an important transportation route to and from the Western Regions since the Han and Tang Dynasties. It can also go west to Chencang and enter Shu...
…
To the north of Xianyang Bridge, a military camp stands in the rainy grass. The shadows stretch out and reach as far as the eye can see under the night. Lanterns are hung in important places in the camp. They sway with the wind and rain. There are many guards on the left and right of the camp gate.
There are still night patrol teams passing through the camp, and the guards are tight.
Even though it was raining heavily and it was late at night, there was an atmosphere of being ready and on full alert.
In the central military tent, Qibi Heli, who had taken off his armor and was wearing a silk costume, was sitting on a stool with a golden sword. His beard was neat and shiny, the middle coat exposed at the collar was white and neat, and the nails of the right hand holding the pot were trimmed.
With a clean face and a smile on his dark face, he looks like a high-ranking official of the Tang Dynasty. He is rich and luxurious. How can he look like a Khan of the Turkic Qibi tribe?
It's just that a piece of his left ear is missing, and the scar is hideous, showing his fierceness...
He filled up the wine glass for Yu Wenshiji opposite him, raised his glass with a smile, and Yu Wenshiji raised his glass in response, and downed it in one gulp.
There was a copper hotpot placed on the table between the two of them. At this moment, the soup was boiling and rolling. Qibi Heli picked up a plate with mutton, used chopsticks to put the mutton into the pot, and put a few vegetables into it. The fresh and tender mutton
It was instantly submerged in the boiling soup. After a few tumblings, it changed color and the vegetables became increasingly green.
The two of them each took a chopstick and put it on a plate, dipped it in a dense mixture of sesame sauce, chive flowers, fermented bean curd, and chili oil, put it in their mouths and chewed it. The aroma of the meat immediately overflowed, and it was moderately spicy. The two of them praised it repeatedly.
.
After eating several chopsticks in a row, a layer of sweat appeared on Yuwenshi's forehead. He raised his glass again and took a sip, praising: "Although this kind of delicious food is slightly inferior to etiquette, it is closer to nature. The Tang people may not be able to accept it, but for Khan
It is definitely more suitable.”
Qibi Heli put down his chopsticks, chewed and swallowed the mutton in his mouth, took a sip of wine, wiped his beard with a handkerchief, and said with a half-smile: "I haven't heard the name 'Khan' for many years, it was just a servant under my command in the past.
I don’t call you that anymore, but you still remember it, Lord Ying. Now, please call me 'General', because I think it will be more powerful and domineering."
When he entered the Tang Dynasty in the sixth year of Zhenguan, His Majesty Li Er appointed him as the "General of the Left-leading Army Guard" and reorganized more than 6,000 old Turkic tribes and Tang people brought under his command, with an elite force of about 30,000. To this day, he "
"General Wei, the leader of the left army," has never changed, and his troops have become a powerful force with outstanding military achievements among the Sixteenth Guards.
I am already a soldier of the Tang Dynasty, why should I mention "Khan"?
Yu Wenshi nodded, but the food was obviously not satisfying at the moment. He clinked glasses with Qibi Heli and drank, saying: "General is loyal to the Tang Dynasty and unswervingly determined. When you entered the Tang Dynasty, many people disagreed. Only Your Majesty firmly believes in the general."
As a person, I tried my best to support you and never had any doubts. Even when you were captured by Zhenzhu Khan, who took you as a hostage and asked for peace with the Tang Dynasty, the late emperor also promised to exchange a princess for your freedom. What kind of courtesy is this?
The surrender of generals from ancient times is unprecedented."
Qibi Heli's face was solemn and he nodded heavily: "The late emperor had a universal mind and swallowed up mountains and rivers. He was not inferior to the wise emperors of ancient times, and he was even more kind to me. Therefore, although I was born in a foreigner, I always consider myself a Tang person. I will never forget the kindness of the late emperor and never forget the kindness of the late emperor."
I have betrayed the empire's trust, and I am willing to use my body to repay His Majesty's kindness in case anything happens."
That's what he said, and that's what he did.
The Tang Dynasty embraced the world, and many Hu people were sent to serve in the Tang Dynasty. However, except for him, Qibi Heli, there was no one else who could stay in the imperial palace. As the most trusted Hu general by His Majesty Li Er, Qibi Heli led him
The tribesmen also swore loyalty to the death and fought bravely under His Majesty Li Er's military orders countless times. Even if they were captured by Zhenzhu Khan, they would rather cut off their left ears to show their determination and never rebel against the Tang Dynasty.
Yu Wenshi sighed and said: "Yes, even a barbarian like you who entered the Tang Dynasty can still appreciate the kindness of the late emperor. However, many people in the Tang Dynasty who were more favored by the late emperor used to obey the late emperor's orders and swear by them, but now they have shelved the late emperor's legacy.
, completely forgotten, only caring about the little interests in front of me, ungrateful, and ungrateful."
How could Qibi hold the pot and pour the wine for Yu Wenshi? It was difficult for him to accept the words, and he could not accept them.
A mere Hu man is demoted to a general, no matter how high his status or title is, how can he comment on whether the Dukes of Gongun in the court are loyal or not?
As for Yuwen Shiji's purpose of coming, he was somewhat clear about it...
When Yu Wenshiji saw Qibi Heli not answering, he also understood Qibi Heli's thoughts. He couldn't help but frowned and asked: "Perhaps the general has completely forgotten about the late emperor's love for Long En?"
Qibi Heli glanced at him, took a sip of wine, and said solemnly: "My loyalty to the late Emperor is as strong as a mountain and as long as a river. Wherever the late Emperor orders, I will go through fire and water, even if I die. I heard that the late Emperor came
On the news of the collapse, I wrote to the court and begged to be buried in the Zhaoling Mausoleum, but His Majesty refused, so I gave up. I would like to ask the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, how many people are willing to follow the late emperor underground and live as slaves and servants for the rest of their lives?"
This matter was of course true, but Li Chengqian replied to him at that time that "there is no precedent for burial in the Tang Dynasty", so he gave up.
But Qibi Heli's loyalty really shocked the government and the public.
The vast majority of loyalty is limited to words, and not many people actually do it. But there are very few people who are willing to extend their loyalty beyond life and death.
Yu Wenshiji said aggressively: "Since the general is so loyal, why did he turn a blind eye to His Majesty's legacy, turn a deaf ear to it, abandon it, and allow the villain to steal the throne, while the real successor is trapped in Tongguan and is about to be destroyed?"
Qibi Heli's eyes were bright, and he looked at Yuwenshiji without giving in. "My loyalty is not something that you, Yuwenshiji, can comment on. Who else in the world can match the imperial favor that you have shown to the Long clan? As a result, you have made your wits go crazy.
When the late emperor was on an expedition to Liaodong, he brazenly launched a mutiny to depose the crown prince appointed by his majesty. Why didn't you stand up and stop Changsun Wuji at that time? And I don't know who the person you call the real successor is. Since I am loyal to the late emperor,
Naturally, I obey the orders of the late emperor. Your majesty is now canonized by the late emperor's golden canon. It is just and justified. I don't care what the late emperor thinks. Since the late emperor never deposed the crown prince from beginning to end, then after the death of the late emperor, the only successor is the crown prince, which is the rightful name. If you can
Take out the edict that the late emperor passed down to others when he was dying, and it has been recognized by the government and the public. I will naturally obey it. If you can't do it, why bother making noise with me?"
These words can be said to be merciless, and they almost pointed at Yu Wenshiji's nose and cursed, "Your whole family is a rebel, and you want me to be a rebel too?"
You can’t do this even if you are wicked!
Yu Wenshiji's face was red, and a barbarian, a general, pointed at his nose and said, "You are not worthy of talking about loyalty with me." How humiliating is this?
However, when the Guanlong clan launched a mutiny to depose the prince, it really had nothing to do with loyalty...
He had no choice but to endure the humiliation and said in a bitter voice: "Do you really not know what the late emperor wanted? Five years after Zhenguan, the late emperor wanted to depose the crown prince more than once. Even though the late emperor was still in the army, he did not hesitate to 'fake his own death' to condone the mutiny of the Guanlong clan.
Didn't he want to wait for the crown prince to be deposed? The late emperor's thoughts were known to both the government and the public, but when the late emperor passed away, everyone turned a deaf ear to it... It's a pity that the late emperor was always kind and tolerant to his ministers, but he couldn't get the ministers to be sincere. "
Qibi Heli snorted, restrained his tyranny, ate a mouthful of meat, drank a sip of wine, and then said: "There are some things that cannot be judged by the heart, but there are some things that cannot be judged by the heart. The late emperor has not promulgated them for a day
Even if the edict of deposing is revoked, the prince will still be the prince. How can it be judged purely based on his mind? What Duke Ying said is biased and unreasonable."
After saying that, he poured wine for Yu Wenshi and said: "Whether I am stubborn or lose my ability to think, or even Ashina Simo, we are both barbarians and officials of the Tang Dynasty. When the late emperor was here, we were loyal."
The late emperor, the late emperor passed away, we are loyal to the Tang Dynasty."
Yu Wenshiji took a sip of the wine and felt that the originally mellow wine was indeed bitter.
Obviously, Qibi Heli had already lost his thoughts with Zhili, and Ashina Simo and others had communicated secretly and reached an agreement with each other. They might take a bystander attitude toward the struggle for imperial power, but they would never intervene rashly...
Without Qibi Heli's left-leading army guard, Zuo Xiaowei who had lost his mind, and Ashina Simo's old Turkic tribe, the western front of Chang'an City was impregnable, and the Sixth Army of the East Palace had no worries and could fight with all their strength in the front. Where could the King of Jin be?
Any chance of winning?
After a long silence, Yu Wenshiji said slowly: "I am sincerely convinced by the general's loyalty, and I am very pleased. Since I have understood the general's intentions, I also want a promise from the general. If the situation suddenly changes one day, the general can
Are you willing to stand up and defend the stability of the Tang Dynasty and the survival of the country in order to repay the kindness of the late emperor?"
Qibi Heli paused slightly, his heart skipped a beat, and he stared at Yuwen Shiji coldly.
What does this mean?
As long as the western front is stable, Chang'an will be safe, and the imperial court is already in an invincible position. It can advance, retreat, or defend. How can the Jin king who is trapped in Tongguan have any chance?
But since Yu Wenshiji said this, it means that at a critical moment when everyone thinks that the overall situation has been decided, there will be a drastic change, and even defeat will turn into victory...
After pondering for a long time and weighing the matter repeatedly, Qibi Heli did not ask what happened, but slowly nodded and said: "It should be so."
Yu Wenshiji let out a long breath. Since Qi Bi was unwilling to raise troops to rely on him, he could only retreat and do the next best thing, which could be regarded as the lowest goal of this trip...