In the former splendid palace, there were no longer many maids and eunuchs. Queen Lanying sat alone in front of the window, weeping secretly.
His repeated forbearance and retreat failed in the end to gain the prince's filial piety, but instead made him become more and more aggressive.
Recruiting troops to conquer the Song Dynasty was like the last straw, crushing the already shaky imperial power. The generals' collective defection allowed the Eastern Palace to completely control Thang Long City.
The huge palace was in turmoil, and amid betrayal and separation, Queen Lanying held the little princess in her arms, feeling indescribably desolate and lonely.
At this time, another burst of noise and fighting was heard outside the palace, and a guard rushed in, "Oh no, the prince has led his troops to force the palace and is about to attack."
A bamboo sword shot through the guard's throat. His eyes popped out and he died beside the queen. Queen Lanying screamed in shock and did not forget to cover her daughter's eyes.
Between the two redwood pillars, a group of guards suddenly filed in and surrounded them.
After a while, Li Yanghuan came out surrounded by people. He looked at his mother-in-law with a ferocious smile on his face.
The woman in front of me is more than ten years younger than me, but she has suppressed me for so many years. She is that old and immortal thing. She can no longer wake up, and she is not allowed to supervise the country. You have been the emperor for forty years, haven't you?
Is it enough? But I, the prince, have had enough. Li Yanghuan slowly pulled out the sword.
They were deeply in love with each other. Seeing that the prince was about to commit murder, Queen Lanying hugged her daughter tightly and asked: "Prince! Don't you want the tiger seal?"
Although the Li Dynasty of Jiaozhi often invaded the Song Dynasty, deep down they admired the culture of the Central Plains. This can be seen from the fact that they imitated the Central Plains in everything. After the establishment of the Li Dynasty, they even built Confucian temples and created Confucius, Duke of Zhou, and the "Four Matches"
(Yan Hui, Zeng Shen, Kong Ji, Meng Ke) and the seventy-two sages, stipulated sacrifices in the four seasons, and allowed the crown prince to learn Confucian culture.
The Tiger Seal is similar to the traditional jade seal from the Central Plains. It is carved from the finest Hetian white jade. On the top is a lying tiger, and on the bottom are engraved with the eight characters "By the order of heaven, the emperor is Shouchang".
When Li Yanghuan heard this, a trace of cruelty flashed in his eyes. He pressed the sword inch by inch to her throat and said sternly: "Hand over the tiger seal, the lonely king... No, it's me. I can spare this little bitch."
Immortal."
Queen Lanying was hardened for once, her beautiful face was a bit arrogant, she gritted her teeth and said, "Unless you send us to Song Dynasty."
"Bitch, you actually want to collude with the Song people. Come on, arrest me and torture me."
The guards swarmed up, knocked the mother and daughter to the ground, and then left the palace with their arms raised.
Li Yanghuan looked up to the sky and laughed, slowly stepped forward and walked to the dragon couch.
The old emperor was sleeping soundly. Although he had been ill all year round, he used only the best medicinal materials to maintain his health.
Li Yanghuan was a little afraid. This man had suppressed him for forty years and was his biological father.
Whether it is the respect of the prince or the splendidness of the royal family, it was this person who gave it to him.
People say that even if a tiger is poisonous, it will not eat its seeds. Even though the old emperor had all kinds of bad things, he was still pretty good to himself. He also knew that he had been a prince for too long and would inevitably have resentments, but he did not do anything to himself. It was just that he had been a prince for too long.
In order to protect himself, he supported a queen in an attempt to continue to suppress himself.
Li Yanghuan slowly approached, picked up his father's brocade quilt, squinted his eyes and said: "Father, I have come to say hello to you."
His hand holding the sword kept shaking. The old emperor's eyelids suddenly moved on the bed. He was so frightened that his hand softened and the sword fell to the ground.
The old emperor slowly opened his eyes, still a little confused. After staring with cloudy eyes for a while, he saw the person in front of him clearly and asked: "Your Majesty, why is it you, the Queen?"
"Father...Mother, she..." Li Yanghuan's hands and feet were cold, he was at a loss, and his teeth were chattering back and forth.
Behind him, several Dong Palace confidants saw that the prince was so weak. If the old emperor came to his senses, wouldn't they and the rest of them be killed along with him?
Du Yingwu, the commanding officer in front of the left guard palace, stepped forward and said loudly: "Queen Lanying committed regicide. Our emperor has died. Please take over the throne."
The old emperor Li Qiande looked confused. He was lying here fine, why did he die?
Suddenly, Du Yingwu and several generals came forward, each holding down an arm. Du Yingwu took a pillow and suffocated the old emperor to death on the dragon couch.
Prince Li Yanghuan finally woke up, feeling excited and scared at the same time.
"Invite my emperor to ascend the throne!"
Li Qiande's more than 40 years of emperor career has come to an end. He ascended the throne when he was seven years old, and his biological mother, Concubine Yilan Yuan, and his aunt, Empress Dowager Yang of Shangyang, supervised the affairs behind the curtain.
At that time, his biological mother, Concubine Yilan Yuan, was jealous and instigated him to kill the Empress Dowager Shangyang and seventy-six maids. Later Vietnamese historians condemned: "How can you kill your legitimate queen and torture innocent people? How cruel!"
Li Qiande, who ascended the throne after a bloody palace coup, was eventually killed in the palace coup and died at the hands of his son.
Li Yanghuan took away the pillow and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his father was completely dead.
"From now on, I am no longer a prince..." Two lines of tears actually fell from the cheeks of this evil man who killed his father and imprisoned his mother.
In the palace, a large number of people suddenly knelt down and shouted in unison: "Join my emperor, long live my emperor, long live my emperor."
---
Less than three days after the death of the old emperor, the crown prince had already completed his enthronement ceremony.
There was no trace of sadness in the whole country, and there was even an atmosphere of celebration in the palace.
There are lanterns and colorful decorations, and a tasseled palace lantern is hung every few steps, just like daylight. There are all kinds of delicacies, wine, melons and vegetables on several upturned black tables, a dazzling array.
Li Yanghuan clapped his hands gently, and two rows of musicians filed in, one on each side, holding the piano and playing the flute, and eight drummers gathered around the four giant drums.
Li Yanghuan waved his robe sleeves, crisp drumbeats sounded, and a row of black-clad swordsmen poured into the arena. They were all women in well-dressed clothes with black ribbons binding their hair and black veils covering their faces. The drums sounded and the sword light flowed.
The surrounding civil servants and military officers were so drunk that they applauded and applauded. The whole court was not at all grieved by the death of the emperor, and did not even do anything to save face.
Gu Beihai was among them, with a hint of disdain in his eyes. He was indeed a barbarian. Even if he tried his best to learn the etiquette of the Han family, he could only get some superficial results.
Li Yanghuan was a little showy and clapped his hands again. These female swordsmen were undressing and taking off their belts in the hall. After a while, the black clothes were all removed, and their looks inside were revealed.
All of them are pretty and graceful, wrapped in light neon clothes, and their styles have changed greatly.
The sound of drum music, the sound of silk and bamboo, and the fragrance of makeup and powder floated between the clouds and neon clothes. The originally cold and stunning female swordsman suddenly became a slender female singer.
Seeing everyone's surprised looks, Li Yanghuan felt proud. He stood up and looked around.
The dancers withdrew knowingly, and Li Yanghuan said loudly: "The death of the late emperor was actually caused by Queen Lanying colluding with the Song people to betray the Li Dynasty. How can we not avenge such a great hatred? I have made up my mind to attack today."
Song!”
It was Dong Ding's strategy to quickly integrate the imperial court and eradicate dissidents by conquering the Song Dynasty. All of them were Li Yanghuan's cronies, and they knew this already. Du Yingwu came out and clasped his fists, knelt down on one knee, and said: "The last general
I am willing to serve as your Majesty's vanguard, lead the army, surprise the Song Dynasty, and capture the Song Emperor alive!"
These people all thought that the Song Dynasty was unprepared, so they led their troops to plunder several states and counties to consolidate the reputation of the new emperor. This was considered a successful completion of the task.
No one took it seriously except Gu Beihai who was at the table.
"These barbarians will suffer a big loss if they underestimate the Song Dynasty in such a way."
He himself was a man of few words, but he only paid some money. His seat in the hall was so far back that the emperor could not see him at all.
---
Thang Long City is located in Hanoi in later generations. From here to the west to Dali, it takes less than two days by horseback.
To the north is Guangnan East Road, which is also known as Guangxi in later generations. It can be reached by horseback in one day.
Now that Yang Lin has taken Dali, Shenglong City is actually no longer suitable as the capital of the Li Dynasty.
If Emperor Shengming were on the throne, he would definitely choose to move the capital at this time, but Li Yanghuan and Li Qiande obviously did not have this vision.
As the heart of the Li Dynasty, Shenglong City was actually surrounded by the Song Dynasty on both sides. There was still an endless sea to the east. There was only an escape route to the south. Once it was blocked, it could isolate the other territories of the Li Dynasty from Shenglong City.
Dragon City connection.
In front of Maguan on Nanping Mountain, Yang Lin was wrapped in thick cotton clothes in his big tent. Yang Lin was sighing and looking at a map.
The two maps sent by Fang Qifu and Lu Qian were almost identical, so Yang Lin nodded.
His hands were turning white from the cold. He was not allowed to light a fire during the day, so even he could only endure the cold without risking lighting a fire to keep warm.
Although this mountain range was sufficiently secretive, in order to prevent Li Chao from spying, he still remained cautious.
"Damn it, you thief, Li Yanghuan, this hozen with a broken back, killed his father and didn't send troops for so long. He is a stupid donkey. Even I know his heroic words, and he wants to attack Song Dynasty to avenge his father. He
The army dragged its feet and did not leave Thang Long City for three days."
Fang Qifu huddled in a military jacket, tightened his collar, and took it seriously. He nodded and said: "It's really cold here. I really hope they can take advantage of it and finish the fight quickly so that we can go back to Yangyi Me City to enjoy the blessings."
It’s New Year’s Day in a few days, and I don’t want to hang out in this ravine during the New Year.”
Yang Lin chuckled, laughed, and cursed: "Don't underestimate the enemy. We don't just want to defeat Li Chao's army. This time we have to at least hit Shenglong City."
Fang Qifu lowered his head and did not argue. He was really freezing.
I have experienced hardship before, but the winter here is not that cold with ice and snow, but a bit cold.
Especially when the mountain wind blows, it often gives people a biting chill, but in fact the temperature is not very low.
Yang Lin stood up, twisted his waist and stretched his arms, and said: "Come on, come with me for a walk. It will get colder if you stay here, so why not do some exercise."
After walking out of the tent, the black barbarian soldiers in the camp were very accustomed to this kind of weather. They were all chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened, polishing their weapons, cutting bamboo and making arrows.
There are often wild animals hanging on the bushes, which they hunt in their spare time, skin them and bleed them, waiting to be roasted in the evening.
Yang Lin stepped on the thick dead leaves. The main part of the forest was even green, with almost no dead yellow trees.
When we arrived at Thang Long City, the place near the seaside was even warmer than spring.
"At this time, Bianliang should be a glazed world, all white, right?" Yang Lin smiled and could even imagine the lively scene of Bianliang City as the New Year is approaching.
There will definitely be countless people spontaneously organizing various celebration activities. Rich people will also go to the Yamen early to register and apply, preparing to set off lanterns and fireworks.
Fang Qifu had never been to Bianliang and could not imagine this kind of prosperity. He just responded casually: "At this time of year, in the north, it is all snow." While the two were walking and chatting, a soldier quickly stepped forward and cupped his fists.
Said: "Young Master, there is news from the front, the Cochin people are coming!"
"We're finally here!" Yang Lin clapped his hands and said, "Give me the order. According to the advance arrangements, everyone will take their positions and prepare for an ambush."
---
The Jiaozhi army, seen from a distance, is generally a bit short in stature, lean and capable in stature, and has a dark complexion.
There is a saying that these people are also good at fighting in the mountains and forests.
Although Jiaozhi is small, it has never been weak and can be bullied. The Shijia army in the late Eastern Han Dynasty also had considerable combat power.
There is no other reason than that the people here are so poor that their lives don't matter. In wars, they rush to kill everyone without their lives.
Du Yingwu, who had just been promoted to General Jinwuwei, volunteered to be the vanguard of the attack on the Song Dynasty. The remaining army was personally led by Li Yanghuan. He pointed in front and asked: "Is this mountain range Nanping Mountain?"
The generals around him nodded and said: "Come back to the general, this is Nanping Mountain, which is the junction of Dali, the Song Dynasty and our Li Dynasty."
Du Yingwu nodded and said: "Across this mountain range is the Xizhou of the Song Dynasty. My father once massacred the Song army here and brought supreme glory to our family. This time we have the opportunity to reappear the ancestors of the Song Dynasty.
Human glory is truly a great blessing!"
The surrounding generals were flattering one after another. Du Yingwu rose to power purely through nepotism. His sister was the Crown Princess of the East Palace, and his father was just a low-ranking general back then, but in his words, he became the main force in conquering the Song Dynasty.
.
Moreover, when Jiaozhi attacked the Song Dynasty, they only killed some Xiang soldiers and unarmed people. If it weren't for the fact that the civil servants of the Manchu Dynasty looked down on the border areas and thought that the death of a few ordinary people was not a big deal, they would not have taken it to heart.
At that time, the entire Guangnan West Road garrison on the border only had 4,000 troops. Surrounded by 80,000 Jiaozhi troops, they could still defend the city and fight hard for 41 days. Later, after it was broken, the Jiaozhi people caused a massacre in Nanning. They surrounded the city.
Every hundred people were tied into strings, and 580 strings were tied, totaling more than 50,000 people. They all rushed into the river and drowned. Then they set fire to the city and took 80,000 women away as captives.
After the government and the public were furious, Emperor Shenzong mobilized troops from the Western Army. Guo Kui led 100,000 Western troops and immediately began to counterattack. The Song Dynasty attacked Shenglong City, Jiaozhi troops were almost wiped out, the prince was killed by the Song army, and Li Renzong was forced to
Please surrender!
At this time, Sima Guang showed his magnanimity to the outside world again, and together with his party members, he advised Song Shenzong not to resort to militarism and to withdraw his troops quickly. Fighting was a waste of people and money.
After the Song army withdrew, the Jiaozhi people wrote a special book about this in their documents, believing that it was the brave and tenacious Jiaozhi people who repelled the Han invasion.
All those who participated in the massacre were proud of it and were always ready to invade the Song Dynasty again.
Du Yingwu was ambitious and felt majestic while riding on horseback.
At this time, high in the jungle, Yang Lin held up a telescope and marveled: "A character like this, who looks like a dwarf, can also go into battle and become a general?"
Little did he know that Li Yanghuan was short in stature, so he hated tall people the most. Those who were in important positions around him were all dwarfs.